


i'm walking after you (things just won't do without you)

by blackrose1002, BlackVultures



Series: Vacation AU [1]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010), MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Aftercare, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Barebacking, Blindfolds, Blow Jobs, Bombing, Bondage, Bonding Over Crappy Parents, Butt Plugs, Car Sex, Case Fic, Choking, Coming Out, Dirty Talk, Edgeplay, F/F, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Flirting, Gags, Hook-Up, Hot Tub Sex, Idiots in Love, Light BDSM, Love Confessions, M/M, Mama Dalton's Famous Fried Chicken, Massage, Mission Fic, Misunderstandings, Multiple Orgasms, Mutual Pining, Name-Calling, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Overstimulation, Pining, Post-Season/Series 02, Prostate Milking, Rimming, Rough Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Shibari, Skinny Dipping, Spanking, Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:35:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 50,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26921503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackrose1002/pseuds/blackrose1002, https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackVultures/pseuds/BlackVultures
Summary: Jack immediately followed, but before he could respond Mac asked, “So... wherearewe going?”“Wherever you want,” Jack said, waiting patiently for Mac to unlock the house before he followed him inside. “My go-bag’s in the trunk, so as soon as you’re done packing we can head for the airport.” He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and smiled a little. “We could head back to Hawaii? Might be nice to visit for an actual vacation.”Mac looked at him for a moment before he headed to the bedroom, Jack right behind him. “I haven’t even thought about what I want to do, or where I want to go,” he said softly, looking around his room and feeling a little lost. “I just knew that there’s no way I’m working for my father... or that I’m staying in LA.” He took a deep breath. “But yeah, Hawaii sounds nice.”(What would've happened if Jack chased Mac down after the end of the season two finale? Let's find out.)
Relationships: Jack Dalton/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Past Steve McGarrett/Jack Dalton, Riley Davis/Desiree "Desi" Nguyen, Steve McGarrett/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams, Wilt Bozer/Leanna Martin
Series: Vacation AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1964281
Comments: 86
Kudos: 162





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KatieComma](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatieComma/gifts).



> Hey guys! First thing's first: HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!!! I know it isn't until tomorrow, but Kaja and I both love your fics sooo much and we hope you have a wonderful day! <3 So a looong time ago Katie gave me the fic prompt included in the summary: what would've happened if Jack left the Phoenix with Mac at the end of S2? We set out to explore that... and HOLY SHIT IT GOT OUT OF HAND. We never imagined this fic would be almost 50,000 words long, let alone spawn its own AU, but that's just how it works sometimes! I tried to spoil as little as possible with the tags... but you probably noticed there's some... interesting relationship ones. ;) Stay tuned to find out what happens there, and as always, let us know what you think! Enjoy!
> 
> (Title is from "Walking After You" by Foo Fighters.)

Angus MacGyver left the war room staring straight ahead at nothing, his eyes filling with involuntary tears. He’d thought he’d imagined every possible scenario in which he could be reunited with his father, but finding out that James MacGyver was Oversight totally blindsided him. His head felt like it was going to explode and he barely noticed his friends as he passed by them, heading for the elevator.

He didn’t know where he was going but he needed to get away from his dad, away from the Phoenix and everything it represented. It was equally as ironic as it was heartbreaking that the place he’d treated as his second home turned out to be a puppet show directed by his father. Not only that, but his entire life had been controlled by James since the moment Mac decided to join the Army—at least that decision was his own, although right now he wasn’t sure of anything.

He heard footsteps behind him and increased his pace, not wanting to be stopped by anyone, but when he reached the elevator he had to wait for it. His pursuer caught up and when a familiar hand landed on his shoulder Mac almost crumpled to the ground. It was Jack’s hand because of course it was, and what was surprising was that he didn’t say anything... only stepped on the elevator when Mac did.

He exhaled shakily, dreading whatever came next. Jack was going to try and talk him out of leaving, out of quitting the Phoenix and... there weren’t many times Mac was able to say no to him. Actually, right now he knew Jack was the only person capable of talking him out of anything, but his stomach dropped when he imagined staying at the Phoenix and working for his father.

They rode down to the parking garage in silence, and it was only when the elevator doors open again that Jack asked: “Where we headed, hoss?” His keys jangled as he pulled them out of his pocket, hand dropping away from Mac’s shoulder. “Your place?”

Mac swallowed hard and he nodded, wordlessly following Jack to the GTO. Once they were inside he took a deep breath, figuring they could have the conversation right now, even though Mac’s pretty sure he knew how it would go. “Jack, I... I can’t stay here,” he said quietly, somehow keeping his voice steady. “My... my whole life has been a lie. I can’t work for him.”

“I know that, Mac,” Jack replied, as though it was the easiest thing in the world. He started his beloved car’s big engine and pulled out of the garage, merging on to the highway and heading for Laurel Canyon. “Told Matty if you were done then so was I.”

Mac was already opening his mouth to argue why he really couldn’t stay, but when Jack’s words registered in his brain he just stared at him. “What?” he eventually managed to ask. “What are you talking about? You... Jack, you can’t quit.”

“Already did,” Jack said, glancing over at him after he changed lanes. “What, you figured I was gonna stay after all the shit your old man put you through? I watched you torture yourself trying to find him. So I gave him a piece of my mind and then I left before I could break his nose.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “And believe me, I wanted to.”

Mac continued staring at him, wondering if he maybe tripped and hit his head, and was now having a weird dream or something. “You... you did?” he asked, completely dumbfounded, and he blinked slowly. “What... did you say to him?”

Jack’s brows furrowed, and now was _not_ the time for Mac to think that his partner looks particularly stoically handsome. “I told him he was a bastard of the highest fuckin’ order—what else would I have said? Oh, and I explained why, that’s important.” He got off the highway at Mac’s exit. “So here’s what I’m thinking: I know a gal who should be in the area, has her pilot’s license... and also owns a private jet.”

Mac’s jaw dropped open in shock again because that sounded like... but it couldn’t be. “Jack, what—”

“I mean, don’t get me wrong,” Jack continued like Mac hadn’t spoken. “I can fly pretty much anything, but I figured it would be easier if she flew us wherever we want to go. This way we can head whenever we want afterwards and she can take her jet back.”

Mac fell silent for a moment, dumbfounded by what he heard. “What about Riley and Bozer?” he asked, mostly because he didn’t seem to be getting anywhere trying to tell Jack what he could and couldn’t do. “What’s gonna happen there?”

“They quit too,” Jack declared, turning down Mac’s street. “I’d imagine we’ll see them at the airport.”

“But... that doesn’t make any sense,” Mac said, shaking his head a little, feeling more confused than he had in a while. “They... they don’t have that much savings, they can’t just quit their jobs.” He swallowed. “Why would they do that?”

“Because of you, Mac,” Jack replied, pulling into Mac’s driveway and turning off the engine. He turned to look at Mac, and the expression on his face was a combination of sympathy and... pride? “You’ve got no idea what you’ve done for them... and me. I was a washed up spook when I met you, Riley was in jail, and Bozer was flipping burgers until he found out about the Phoenix. You changed all of our lives for the better.”

Mac ducked his head, chewing on his lower lip, because Jack made it sound like he was something special and... he really wasn’t. “I’m... not so sure about that,” he said in a quiet voice, and reached for the door to get out of the car. Jack immediately followed, but before he could respond Mac asked, “So... where _are_ we going?”

“Wherever you want,” Jack said, waiting patiently for Mac to unlock the house before he followed him inside. “My go-bag’s in the trunk, so as soon as you’re done packing we can head for the airport.” He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and smiled a little. “We could head back to Hawaii? Might be nice to visit for an actual vacation.”

Mac looked at him for a moment before he headed to the bedroom, Jack right behind him. “I haven’t even thought about what I want to do, or where I want to go,” he said softly, looking around his room and feeling a little lost. “I just knew that there’s no way I’m working for my father... or that I’m staying in LA.” He took a deep breath. “But yeah, Hawaii sounds nice.”

“Okay, then we’ve got a plan,” Jack said, pulling Mac’s suitcase out from under the bed. “Or at least a semblance of one, and that’s all I’m asking for right now.” He sat down on the edge of the mattress while Mac started looking for clothes and his passport, figuring Hawaii might not be their only stop. “Maybe this time McGarrett will actually be around.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Mac echoed, kind of moving on autopilot. He still hadn’t fully processed the fact that his father was Oversight this entire time, plus Jack and the others just... quitting because he did made it even harder to wrap his mind around all of it.

“Hoss, I know asking you if you’re okay is kinda pointless,” Jack started. “But you’re... being really quiet.”

Mac stared at Jack for a moment, then shook his head. “No, I’m... I’m about as far from okay as I can get,” he replied. “Everything feels kind of... far away? Surreal, almost.” He folded a bunch of clothes into his suitcase along with his dopp kit, then closed it up. “I’ll probably have a breakdown, but I don’t want to do it here.”

Jack brows furrowed in concern and he stood up, putting one hand on Mac’s shoulder. “It’s gonna be fine, Mac,” he said softly. “Not right away and I don’t know when, but we’ll figure this out, okay?” It didn’t feel like it, but Mac nodded anyway after a moment. “And you can have a breakdown whenever you want... and I’m gonna help however I can.”

Mac shut his eyes for a moment, then looked at Jack gratefully. “Thank you,” he said, soft but sincere. “I probably would’ve run off to Africa or something by now.” He grabbed his bag and took one last look around the room. “I’m glad you’re here. I... didn’t expect anyone to come after me.”

“Dude, are you crazy?” Jack asked incredulously. “I mean, yeah, you are, but come on. You go kaboom, I go kaboom. You quit, I quit, it’s as simple as that.”

It seemed so... obvious to Jack, and it made Mac too emotional for his liking. He swallowed around the lump in his throat, and together they stepped out of the bedroom. “Are you sure your go-bag is all you need?” Mac asked, forcing his voice to stay steady. “I... don’t know how long we’ll be gone.”

“Hmm, that’s a good point,” Jack said, spinning his keys on his finger. “Maybe I’ll duck into my place on the way to the airport and grab a couple things.”

They locked the house up behind them after they stepped out and Mac didn’t let himself look back. “You’re bringing your gun, right?” Mac asked suddenly. “Just in case?”

“Yeah, of course,” Jack said slowly, tilting his head. “Why? Do you expect the bad kind of company?”

“No, I just...” Mac sighed. “I don’t know? You know how shit usually happens to us and... I guess right now I expect everything to go wrong. Knowing our luck Murdoc is hiding out in Hawaii.”

Jack snorted. “I bet he’s getting a tan by the ocean and drinking from a coconut.”

~***~

They pulled up at Jack’s place a short while later, and while he ran in to get more of his things Mac checked his phone. He had a million texts from an unknown number that must belong to his father, and he deleted them all. Next was Bozer, who informed him via text that he and Riley were indeed tagging along on their magical mystery tour, and that Leanna might join them at some point depending on when she finished an assignment in Indonesia.

He couldn’t believe they all just dropped pretty much everything for him, and he couldn’t help but feel guilty about it. Jack would probably tell him to stop blaming himself for everything, but Jack wasn’t there right now, so Mac could suffer from guilt at least for a short while. In that moment the same unknown number started calling him, but there was nothing Mac wanted from his father now, so he declined the call. He turned his phone off and slid it back in his pocket just as Jack came out and dumped his suitcase in the trunk.

Then they were on the road to the airport, and Mac said, “So tell me about your friend with the plane.”

“Oh, Desi? She’s super cool man, you’ll like her.” Jack sounded confident. “One of the first female Rangers, covered in tattoos... total badass.”

“Sounds cool,” Mac said, fiddling with his fingers in his lap. “How do you know her?”

“There was a time when I trained the young Ranger recruits,” Jack replied, leaning over Mac to grab his yellow aviators and put them on. “I trained her, though there wasn’t much to train, she was a natural, amazing at this, really. Then some stuff happened and long story short, she owes me.”

“I bet this isn’t the favor she expected you to call in,” Mac commented, pretending that Jack’s proximity didn’t affect him. It did, so much, but Mac was good at hiding it by now. “She could stick around in Hawaii. If she wants to.”

Jack glanced at him. “Sure, I’ll ask her,” he said. “She’s pretty much a lone wolf, like yours truly, but maybe she’ll be interested.”

“You’re not that much of a lone wolf anymore,” Mac replied, smiling a little. “You haven’t been for a while.”

“Don’t kill my vibe, dude,” Jack chided, but he smiled too.

They went through the airport and pulled on to the tarmac, and even though Mac knew it was coming he was still a little surprised to see Bozer and Riley waiting near the hangar. They both had suitcases with them, plus Riley also had her usual backpack, most likely with her rig in it. Jack parked the GTO and killed the engine, and they both got out of the car and they grabbed their bags.

When they made their way to Bozer and Riley, Mac let out a surprised sound when Riley hugged him. “Hey,” she said. “You good?”

Mac looked at her for a moment before he shook his head, hiding his face in her hair when she drew him back in. Bozer joined the hug too, patting Mac on the back and saying, “We’re with you, man. No matter what.”

Mac swallowed hard and once they broke apart he cleared his throat before he tried to speak. “I... really appreciate it, guys,” he eventually said, fighting the urge to wrap his arms around himself. “But... are you sure you want to do this?”

“A hundred percent,” Riley replied, still smiling softly. “Like Bozer said, we’re with you. We’re not gonna work for your dad after the shit he pulled.”

“Thank you,” Mac said quietly, movement catching his eye near the plane. He saw an Asian woman with bobbed dark hair get out and hug Jack. “Is that Desi?”

“Yeah, she’s super cool,” Bozer said, grinning from ear to ear as he nudged Riley. “And _somebody_ has a crush.”

“Shut _up_ , Bozer,” Riley growled, but her cheeks flushed pink, and Mac found himself smiling. “She’s... intriguing, but I _don’t_ have a crush.”

“Sure,” Bozer drawled, looking at her knowingly. “Whatever you say.”

“If you continue talking about this, you’re gonna regret the day you met me,” Riley said sweetly. “You have no idea how easy it would be to delete you from existence.”

“That’s a scary thought,” Desi commented, walking over to them with Jack, who took all the suitcases and started loading them into the plane. She stuck out a hand for Mac to shake. “Hi, I’m Desiree Nguyen, and you must be MacGyver. Jack’s told me a lot about you.”

“Nice to meet you,” Mac said, shaking her hand and not missing the firm grip, absently wondering what exactly and _when_ Jack had told her about him. “Thanks for helping us out.”

“No problem,” Desi replied, and then rolled her eyes. “Maybe now Jack will stop saying I owe him. I hear we’re going to Hawaii?”

“That’s the plan,” Mac said, glancing at Bozer and Riley questioningly, but they nodded enthusiastically. They moved to board the plane, but Mac grabbed Riley’s elbow to hold her back. “Did Matty say anything before you left?”

Riley shook her head. “No, nothing. All she said was that she and the Phoenix would be waiting if any of us decided to come back.” She hesitated. “For what it’s worth, Mac, she understood why you left.”

Mac nodded because he knew that. And while she was the only one who knew about his father, he understood why she couldn’t tell him and he appreciated the clues she left for him in effort to help him figure it out himself. Squeezing Riley’s arm one more time, he let her go and they boarded the plane. Mac automatically drifted toward Jack and the seat next to him, barely stopping himself from doing something stupid.

Jack patted the seat in question nonchalantly. “C’mere, dude. You look like you could use a drink or a nap, maybe both.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Mac echoed, sitting down with a relieved sigh. Now that they were actually leaving he felt lighter, and he hoped it showed so the worried creases in Jack’s face would fade.

“So I called McGarrett while you guys were talkin’ outside,” Jack said, grinning a little. “The bastard is actually where he’s supposed to be, so he’s gonna pick all of us at the airport. He also promised to find us a nice place to stay, but I’m not gonna believe that until I see it, knowing those Navy dudes he probably considers a pool a nice place to nap.”

Mac laughed a little when he heard that—not a full belly laugh, but he was genuinely amused. “He can’t be that bad, right?”

“I think McGarrett’s probably cooler than Jack,” Bozer said from across the aisle, in the middle of booting up his laptop. “Jack just doesn’t want to tell us that because he figures we’ll like him more.”

“Excuse me?” Jack asked incredulously. “There ain’t nothin’ cool about the guy, and I’m tellin’ you right now, he never pays. Always forgets his wallet.”

Mac laughed again, his chest not feeling so tight anymore. “Well, I can’t wait to meet him anyway,” he said. “You keep making fun of him, but since you two actually worked together and you’re not complaining about that, I’m guessing he’s good at what he does. I can tell you’ve got _some_ respect for him.”

“Maybe _some_ ,” Jack allowed, and just like Mac hoped he seemed to relax a little. “Okay, truth time? Steve’s one of the real ones. He’s great at his job and cares about everybody.” He grinned mischievously. “Plus I’ve heard his partner is a mouthy blond that’s always giving him shit.”

“That sounds familiar,” Mac commented, smiling a little. “But between the two of us I think you’re the mouthy one.”

Jack looked like he wants to protest, but then he tilted his head, reconsidering. “Maybe,” he agreed. “But we’re both giving each other shit. I’m looking forward to meeting that guy, anyone who pisses McGarrett off is a good candidate for a friend.”

Mac chuckled again, reclining his seat a little. Having his feet up felt nice, even if he didn’t plan on sleeping during the six hour flight. His mind drifted a little, going back to the conversation he and James had with Jonah Walsh back at the lab. “Do you think Walsh was justified?” he asked, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “In being so angry, I mean. My dad made it sound like Walsh betrayed him... but I can’t help wondering if it was the other way around somehow.”

“That your old man betrayed Walsh?” Jack asked, and Mac nodded. “I don’t know, man, but... no matter how you look at it Walsh is currently one of the most wanted terrorists and your father works for the government. So it’s pretty clear who is the bad guy between these two... but maybe you’re right. Maybe there is more that we don’t know about what happened.”

“Hey, stop thinking about your dad,” Riley said, leaning around Bozer, who was fast asleep with his headphones on and his laptop playing a movie. “All you’re gonna do is tie yourself up in knots.” She smiled, but it was a little sad. “Trust me, I know. Elwood is far from father of the year.”

“That’s an understatement,” Jack grumbled, but made a soft sound and raised his hands when Riley glared at him. “Just sayin’ how it is, baby girl.”

“I just... can’t get it out of my head,” Mac said, and sighed. “But I guess I have to try.” Riley gave him another small smile and sat back in her seat, grabbing a book out of her backpack. “I can’t believe I was so blind,” Mac continued in a whisper, only for Jack to hear. “He’s been controlling my life since the Sandbox.”

“Hey now, he hasn’t controlled _everything_ ,” Jack murmured, putting a hand on Mac’s arm and squeezing. “He might have pulled the strings to make me your overwatch, but he didn’t make me sign up for another tour to stay with you. He didn’t make us friends, and he didn’t make us decide to work for DXS.”

“But he did make sure we got offered the job,” Mac argued, running his fingers through his hair and trying to ignore how Jack’s hand felt on his body. “Actually... there’s something I’ve never told you.” He chewed on his lower lip, swallowing hard. “At first Patty offered the job only to me, but... I said I wasn’t taking it if you weren’t coming with me. She said she’d have to make a few calls, and then two days later she called and said the _boss_ had agreed. Then I told you about the offer.”

Jack went still. “You... you didn’t want to do it without me?” he asked, a note of amazement in his voice. His hand squeezed Mac’s arm again, although this time Mac suspected it was a reflex. “I never knew that.”

“Jack, there isn’t anyone else I’d want to do this job with,” Mac said softly. “And you taught me so much... if you hadn’t been with me, I probably would’ve died in a week.”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Jack immediately protested. “You’re an amazing operative.”

“Remember our first mission?” Mac asked. “Jakarta? I had no idea what I was doing.”

“Okay, you had _some_ idea, I know you paid attention in those classes Patty made you take,” Jack said, finally removing his hand from Mac’s arm. He reclined his seat too, staring up at the ceiling of the plane. “And you were... good. A little shaky with the violence, maybe.”

“Some would argue that’s still the case,” Mac said, pretending he didn’t miss Jack’s touch. “You know I don’t like violence.”

“That’s true, but you’re... more comfortable around it, though I’m not sure that’s the right word,” Jack said slowly, looking deep in thought. “And you got that... colder edge that you don’t show too often, but when you do it’s totally badass.”

Mac furrowed his brows, because thinking of himself as badass was... kind of ridiculous. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said, looking at the ceiling too so he didn’t spend too long staring at Jack. “But I’m pretty sure of the two of us you’re the badass one.”

“Why, because I keep wavin’ my gun around and beating people up?” Jack asked, and he sounded amused, but there was something a little off about his voice. “Kicking ass it’s not always a sign of bein’ badass, sometimes blowing people up or figuring out how to _not_ get blown up is way more spectacular.”

Mac felt his cheeks color and he studiously did not look at Jack, hoping he didn’t notice his blush. “If you say so. I’m not up for a full-on debate.” He paused, then changed the subject: “So what’s the first thing we should do in Hawaii? I was kinda thinking I could finally teach you how to surf.”

Jack groaned. “You sound just like McGarrett,” he grumbles. “I’m afraid you’re gonna get along a little too well. Hopefully he doesn’t try to steal you away and offer you a job on that task force of his.”

Mac grinned a little. “I _am_ currently unemployed,” he pointed out, his voice teasing. “And Hawaii seems like a nice place to work.”

“Hey, you’ve gotta take me with you,” Jack said, nudging Mac’s elbow with his own. “We’re a package deal, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Mac said softly, trying to conceal how much those words affected him. “And I’m not about to forget it.”

~***~

About six hours later they reached the airport on Oahu and the landing was so smooth Mac barely noticed. It only proved that Desi had some real skills, which wasn’t that surprising considering all of Jack’s friends seemed to be very good at their jobs. Once the plane stopped moving they all got up, except for Bozer who was still asleep.

“There are so many ways I could have fun with this,” Jack commented, looking down at his sleeping form. “Please, let me.”

Riley rolled her eyes and shoved Bozer, who woke up with a startled snort. “Huh? What happened?”

“We landed, Boze,” Mac said dryly, and after a moment they all left the plane.

Desi was already around back pulling out their luggage, and she nodded her head toward a car on the tarmac with a huge guy leaning against the hood. “You know him? Because if not, I can shoot him.”

Mac grinned. “Now I why you and Jack are friends,” he said, his grin widening when Desi glared at him. “But it’s all good, I’m pretty sure he’s Jack’s friend.”

His suspicion got confirmed when Jack smiled and headed toward the guy without reaching for his gun. “McGarrett, you son of a bitch,” he started loudly. “It’s been a while.”

“Hey, Dalton,” Steve said, opening his tattooed arms and giving Jack a huge bear hug. “How’ve you been, man?”

“Oh, you know, living the dream,” Jack replied dryly, returning the hug before he stepped back and gestured toward Mac and the others. “Get over here, guys! This is Steve.”

Bozer looked vaguely spooked which was amusing as hell, but Mac let him be for now, making his way to Jack and Steve. “It’s great to finally meet you, Jack talks about you sometimes.” He offered Steve his hand to shake. “I’m MacGyver.”

“So you’re the one doing all the crazy stuff, huh?” Steve shook his hand, his grip firm as he grinned widely. “Chin and Kono wouldn’t shut up about you.”

“Yeah, he usually makes that impression,” Riley said, shaking Steve’s hand next. “Hey, I’m Riley Davis. And this guy is Bozer.”

“Hey,” Bozer said, glancing between Steve and Jack. “Jesus, Mac, there’s two of them.”

“Three if you count me,” Desi said, giving Steve a little wave. “Desi Nguyen. Nice to meet you.”

Steve looked at her for a moment before he quirked up one eyebrow. “Army?” When Desi nodded, he grinned. “Nice.” He turned his gaze to Jack again. “Now, I had a feeling there would be too many of you to fit into my truck, but my partner should be here any minute now with his car.”

As if on cue a glossy black Camaro roared on to the tarmac and Mac practically heard Jack start to drool. It parked next to Steve’s truck and a short blond man got out of the driver’s seat. “You told me they’d be here at ten!” he groused, squinting up at Steve. “Hi, hello, I’m Danny Williams and I am not normally fifteen minutes late to pick people up.”

“That might be my fault, I got this baby here a little quicker than expected,” Desi said, gesturing at the plane. “But you haven’t missed much, just some introductions. I’m Desi, by the way.”

Everyone said their names again and when Mac spoke up Danny’s gaze stayed on him. “God, you’re the one who blows things up, aren’t you?” he asked, and he sounded tired. “ _Please_ , don’t let Steve drag you into anything, the island won’t survive the two of you.”

Mac laughed. “I’ll do my best.”

“Oh no you won’t! You guys are staying at my place,” Steve declared, grabbing some suitcases and putting them in the back of his truck. “It’s right on the ocean, you can use the kitchen... plus then you’re not blowing money on a hotel.”

“And you would be concerned about money,” Danny muttered, but Mac could tell he wasn’t truly annoyed. “Anybody who doesn’t wanna die in a fiery car crash rides with me.”

Bozer immediately shifted closer to him, but Mac was more focused on Jack who was looking at the Camaro with stars in his eyes. “Go,” he said softly, and Jack’s head snapped in his direction. “Me and the girls will ride with Steve, you go with Danny. I can tell you’re dying to ride in that car.”

Danny looked between the two of them and then sighed the sigh of the long suffering. “I’m going to regret asking this,” he said to Jack, and reached into his pocket. “But do you want to drive?”

“Oh my God, _yes_ ,” Jack said, reverently taking the keys from Danny’s hand. “Bozer, you wanna climb in the back?”

“Only if you promise not to jump another drawbridge,” Bozer replied, following Jack and Danny over to the Camaro.

Mac shook his head before he got in the passenger’s side of the truck, Desi and Riley climbing in the back. Steve opened the door, but before he got behind the wheel he called out, “Hey, Danno! Jack drives just like I do.” He grinned widely and got inside the car, and Mac saw Danny stare at the sky for a few seconds with a tortured look on his face before he sighed and got in the passenger seat of the Camaro.

Steve started driving before Jack did, and Mac looked at him knowingly. “You don’t let Danny drive too often, do you?”

Steve smiled, surprised. “How’d you know?”

“Because Jack does the exact same thing,” Mac replied, returning the smile. It wasn’t lost on him that Steve was extremely handsome, hints of gray in the hair at his temples and in his stubble. “It works out for us, though. I don’t really like driving.”

Steve’s smile turned into a grin. “It works out for us too, although Danny will tell you otherwise,” he said, shaking his head a little. “And you can bet he’s going to bitch about Jack’s driving once we meet up at my house.”

“Sounds entertaining,” Mac commented, returning the grin. “Can’t wait.”

“Okay girls, enough flirting,” Desi said, leaning forward from the back. Mac didn’t miss the way the move crowded Riley, who didn’t look like she minded in the slightest. “McGarrett, give us _all_ the dirt on Jack. Like right now.”

Steve laughed, navigating Honolulu’s streets with ease. “Okay, sure. What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” Desi said with a grin. “You two worked together, right?”

“Hey, you do know I’ve worked with him for years now, right?” Mac asked incredulously. “Why didn’t you ask me for the dirt on him?”

Desi arched one eyebrow at him. “Because I can tell you’re loyal and you won’t tell me anything interesting. Steve on the other hand...” She grinned again. “Come on, man.”

Steve hummed contemplatively, drumming a thumb against the wheel. “Let’s see... oh! There _was_ the time that Jack lost a bet and wound up streaking through the middle of Tijuana butt naked while we were on leave... but you wouldn’t want to hear about _that_.”

“Uh, yeah we would,” Mac said, and both girls agreed. “Tell us everything.”

Steve laughed loudly. “I already like you,” he told Mac, still chuckling. “Alright, so we were in Mexico and since we were on leave we were bored out of our damn minds,” he started, and Mac could already tell this was going to be good because bored Jack was a recipe for a disaster... pretty much like Mac himself. “So we figured we’d have some fun... and we came up with a bet.”

“What was the bet?” Riley asked, leaning forward too. “Was it a drinking thing?”

“Of course,” Steve said, turning off the main drag and on to a residential street. “Dalton was always bragging about how he could drink anybody under the table... so we held him to that. Everybody did shots of tequila and the first person to barf had to streak naked through the city _and_ not get arrested.”

“ _That’s_ why Jack says drinking tequila never ends well,” Mac said, chuckling quietly. “So I’m guessing he must’ve head a worse day and lost?”

“Oh yeah,” Steve replied, grinning widely. “But to give him some credit, it wasn’t easy to beat him, another guy almost barfed before Jack did.” They pulled into the driveway of a two-story house that was set back from the road and surrounded by palm trees, and when they piled out of the car Steve added, “Danny must’ve let Jack take the long way around. They’ll be here in a few minutes.” He unlocked the front door, holding it open as they all filed in with their suitcases. “Make yourselves at home.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Thank you so much for all the lovely comments on the first chapter of this fic - it seems like you guys are just as excited about this AU as we are, and that's amazing! In this chapter there's a little getting to know each other, a little flirting... and the beginning of something VERY naughty. ;) Enjoy!

Mac glanced around Steve’s house and he immediately liked it. It was spacious but felt homey, and in a way it reminded him of his own place in LA. “Wow,” Riley breathed out, walking up to the door leading outside. “You actually live on the beach! This is awesome.”

“I’m surprised you don’t have a pool,” Mac commented with a grin, remembering what Jack told him. “Thought you SEALs can’t live without one... but I guess the ocean is a nice substitute.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I don’t know what to do with myself if I’m not wet,” he said dryly, pointing up the stairs. “I’ve got two guest rooms that way, both of them have queen beds. Somebody’s gonna have to take the couch but it’s comfortable, Danny’s slept on it more than once.” He gestured to the kitchen. “Help yourself to whatever’s in the fridge, and we can make a run to the grocery store once everybody gets here and we figure out what we need for food.”

“Sounds good,” Mac told him before he looked Riley. “How about you and Desi share one of the guests rooms?” he suggested, grinning a little when Riley’s cheeks flushed pink.

“That’s a great idea,” Desi replied, seemingly missing how Riley’s eyes widened.

“Yeah, sure, okay,” Riley said, and then squinted at Mac, a slow smile spreading on her face. “How about you share the second one with Jack then?”

Mac swallowed hard but straightened his spine, because this should be no big deal—he and Jack had shared plenty of beds over the years. “Fine, sounds good. Bozer can have the couch.”

“Honey, I’m home,” Danny crowed as he came through the door, and because Mac happened to see Steve in his peripheral vision he caught the look of _longing_ on the other man’s face before he hid it. “And I’ve brought two strapping gentlemen with me, one of whom almost totaled my car.”

“Relax, it was fine the whole time,” Jack drawled, following Danny inside, and when he grinned widely Mac’s heart stuttered. “I had it under control.”

Danny squinted at him and sighed. “I’m not sure who I should be more worried about,” he said, glancing at Mac. “You, or the explosive one.”

Mac snorted and then raised his eyebrows when he saw Bozer slowly walking inside. “You okay, Boze? You look a little green.”

“I’ll be fine,” Bozer choked out, sitting down on the couch and putting his head between his knees. “Just give me a minute.”

“Yikes,” Steve commented, giving Jack the same lowdown on the rooming situation. “Mac says he wants to room with you, and the girls can take the other bedroom. That leaves Bozer on the couch, and if Danny’s gonna hang out here he can sleep with me.”

Mac made sure to glance at Danny when Steve said that, and he caught an expression on Danny’s face that was similar to the one he saw on Steve just moments ago. He filed that thought for later and smiled at Jack, hoping he couldn’t tell how his heart was pounding. “I hope you don’t mind sharing the bed.”

Jack waved away Mac’s concern. “Course not, dude. Can’t be any worse than that time we had to share a sleeping bag in Alaska.”

Mac remembered that vividly, down to them both being naked and pressed against each other, overwhelmed with the fear of death by hypothermia. “Yeah, I think this will be better,” he replied, ignoring the butterflies in his stomach. “Maybe as a thank you to our host you should make fried chicken tonight.”

“Now that sounds like a great idea,” Jack said, snapping his fingers. “Providing the Navy guy over here doesn’t prefer fish, or whatever you water creatures eat.”

Danny cackled while Steve just glared at Jack before smiling sweetly. “Chicken’s fine, man. I’m surprised you’re not more skittish around so much water since you Army folks mostly live buried in sand.”

“I can sense this is going to be a recurring line of banter,” Riley said, her tone dry. “I’m gonna check out the guest rooms.”

“I’ll come with you,” Desi said quickly, following her up the stairs. “We have to make sure we pick the best one.”

Mac wandered through the sliding door and on to the back porch—a lanai, he thought it was called. Seeing and hearing the water calmed him immediately, and he was suddenly fervently glad Jack followed him out of the war room. He spotted two chairs closer to the ocean and he headed in that direction. He sat down and closed his eyes, breathing in deeply and enjoying the smell of the ocean water, the sound of the waves even more soothing up close. When he was leaving the war room he had no idea what he was going to do—all he knew was that he needed to get out... and knowing him there was no telling where he would have ended up. But thanks to Jack he was here and... it felt right.

Speaking of Jack, Mac heard his footsteps in the sand a moment later, the second chair creaking as he sat down next. “Hey,” Jack murmured, touching something cold and hard to the back of Mac’s hand—a beer bottle. “Danny insisted on going to the store after I gave him the list of what I need for the chicken, and Steve and Bozer went with him.”

Mac accepted the bottle and took a long sip. “It’s really nice of Steve to offer us a place to stay,” he said, smiling a little. “He seems like a great guy.”

“I guess,” Jack grumbled, but Mac could tell he was mostly pretending to be annoyed. “He’s alright.” The look on his face softened. “How are you doin’, hoss?”

“Actually, I’m... better than I thought I was gonna be,” Mac said, then wrinkled his nose. “Well I _am_ drinking beer before noon, but since we just went back in time six hours I guess that’s not a big deal.”

“Exactly what I figured,” Jack agreed, taking a look at the view and letting out a low whistle. “Damn, this is pretty.”

“It really is, isn’t it?” Mac murmured, leaning back in the chair and staring at the ocean. “It’s just so... peaceful, you know? I know we have the ocean and the beaches in LA, but this is different.”

“Maybe because you have this little beach all to yourself and don’t have to share it with a bunch of screaming kids?” Jack suggested with a grin. “I get what you mean, though.”

They lapsed into silence but it wasn’t uncomfortable—it hardly ever was with Jack—and because Mac was so relaxed his brain to mouth filter wasn’t working right. “Have you ever been skinny dipping?”

“Of course, dude,” Jack replied after a second of delay. “I grew up near a lake, remember? It was like a rite of passage.” Another pause. “Wait, have you _not_ been skinny dipping?”

Mac shook his head, feeling his cheeks burn. “No, I... there never was an occasion, you know?” He chewed on his lower lip. “I didn’t have a group of friends to do it with in high school, or at college... even if I had, hard to go skinny dipping at MIT.” He fiddled with his fingers. “But yeah, it was mostly because I... didn’t have anyone to do it with.”

Jack nudged him playfully. “Then we’ll have to cross it off your bucket list... but after it gets dark. Technically Steve and Danny are cops.”

Mac’s blush deepened and he shook his head again, harder this time. “We don’t have to, I wasn’t... I was just curious. That’s all.”

“Mhmm,” Jack hummed, looking at him knowingly. “Whatever you want, man. But if you really want to do it, I’m more than happy to accompany you.”

Mac swallowed hard, knowing full well that doing this with Jack could go wrong in so many ways... but maybe if it was dark Jack wouldn’t notice if Mac accidentally got hard because of staring at him too much or something. Thankfully Mac got a distraction in the form of Desi and Riley running out of the house in their swimsuits. Jack wasn’t kidding when he said Desi had a lot of tattoos, and Mac let himself look for a moment—he _was_ bisexual after all, even if he was totally gone for Jack.

“Hey nerds, go change! It’s too nice to sit on your asses!” Desi called, right before Riley shoved her into the waves.

“It’s gotta be the first time I got called a nerd,” Jack muttered, standing up and patting Mac’s shoulder. “Come on, hoss, she has a point. No need to boil in our jeans.” He raised one eyebrow. “Also, easy with the starin’, or Desi will kick you in the balls.”

Mac made a startled sound as he followed Jack into the house. “I wasn’t... I just thought her tattoos were cool.”

“Sure you did,” Jack said, winking at Mac and grabbing both their suitcases before they headed upstairs. “Nothing else about the view was nice.”

Mac tried taking his bag from Jack, but he didn’t let him. “It’s not like that,” he mumbled, clenching his hands in his fists when Jack wasn’t looking, too busy walking up the stairs. “I mean, sure, she’s beautiful, but I really was just admiring the tattoos.”

“Dude, you don’t have to find more excuses, I get it,” Jack said, and Mac wanted to laugh because Jack most definitely _didn’t_ get it. “As far as I know she’s single, you should go for it.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Mac hedged, following Jack into the unoccupied guest room. It was plain but comfortable, and when Jack put their bags on the bed Mac opened his and started searching for his swim trunks. “I think she might be interested in Riley.”

“Seriously?” Jack asked, looking up at Mac in surprise.

“Yeah.” Mac nodded. “And while here I’m not a hundred percent sure, I know Riley definitely has a crush on her. Bozer called her out earlier and she blushed, so it was pretty obvious.”

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Jack said, shaking his head a little. “Didn’t see that one comin’. But don’t you worry, we can find you someone else.”

Mac’s chest ached with longing, because he’d like nothing more than to tell Jack he didn’t want someone else... he wanted _him_. But he knew that wouldn’t go well, and the last thing he wanted to do was lose Jack. “I’m not worried about that right now,” he said instead, heading into the bathroom to change. “I’m good being single.”

“If you’re sure,” Jack called out, and the rusting of his jeans means he was changing right now as well.

Mac did his best _not_ to think about Jack getting undressed, and he quickly changed into his swim trunks. He waited for a moment longer, wanting to be sure Jack was done changing, and he stepped back into the bedroom, almost tripping over his feet when he saw Jack shirtless, wearing a pair of _very_ fitted swim trunks.

Mac cleared his throat. “Are those new?” When Jack nodded, Mac managed a smile that he hoped looked normal. “They look good.”

“Thanks, man,” Jack replied, and evidently Mac succeeded in not sounding like a creep. He grabbed a towel for both of them and led the way back down the stairs. “Hope the water’s not freezing like it is sometimes in LA.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be an issue,” Mac said, and when they stepped outside he nodded in the direction of the water where Riley and Desi were swimming, occasionally splashing at each other. “They don’t like they’re freezing.”

“Hmm, I guess not,” Jack replied, and when they got closer Riley splashed them both. “Hey! Not cool.”

“Why? You’re gonna swim anyway,” Riley said, rolling her eyes when they both waded into the water and whispered cursed about their balls being frozen for a second. She looked at Desi. “Why do guys always bring up their junk no matter what the situation is?”

“Because it’s the part of them that they’re terrified of damaging?” Desi suggested, smiling sweetly when Jack glared at him. “Why do you think almost every guy after his first anesthesia ever is so worried about not feeling their dick?”

“Hey now, I’m never worried about that!” Jack protested, but Riley and Desi exchanged a knowing look.

“I don’t want to talk about your dick,” Riley said, wrinkling her nose. “But were you really not freaked out the first time it happened?”

“I was a little busy trying not to die,” Jack said wryly, wading into the water alongside Mac. “Got shot in the leg, chipped part of the bone. That was on my first tour, it missed my femoral artery by about an inch. When I woke up from the anesthesia I was surprised I was still alive.”

Mac’s eyes widened and he stared at Jack for a moment. “You never told me that,” he said quietly. “I mean, I knew you had some close calls... but that one sounds like you got _really_ lucky.”

“No point in dwelling on the past too much,” Jack shrugged a little. “I made it, that’s the important part... and hell, I’m glad I did.”

“Of course you are, look at this view,” Riley said, staring out at the horizon even as she moved closer to Jack, because she heard what he wasn’t saying—that there had been times Jack _wasn’t_ glad he made it. “Do you think we’ll see dolphins? Or sharks?”

“Sharks are probably more likely,” Mac said, floating on his back and looking at the cloudless sky. “But they’re usually more afraid of people than we are of them.”

“Tell that to all the people from _Jaws_ ,” Jack grumbled somewhere nearby, and Mac rolled his eyes fondly.

“Sharks got so much bad rep because of that movie,” he said, closing his eyes and just... floating around. “They’re not generally so evil, you know.”

“Still, I wouldn’t like to meet one,” Jack muttered. “Too many teeth.”

“I punched a shark once,” Desi said mildly, and they all looked at her. She shrugged. “It was off the coast of Florida. That place is crazy.”

“Even people from Florida think Florida is fucked up,” Riley agreed, glancing around. “Wanna play chicken? I call Desi.”

“I don’t know if I can sit on Jack’s shoulders without him falling down,” Mac said, pretending his heart didn’t start racing. “Remember Toronto?”

Jack looked at him for a moment before he shook his head, chuckling a little. “I do, hoss,” he replied, and Mac didn’t miss the way both Desi and Riley looked at them curiously. “But it’s gonna be fine.” He grinned. “Hop on.”

“If we go underwater, don’t blame me,” Mac warned, but swam up closer to Jack. “You sure?”

“If I wasn’t I wouldn’t have offered,” Jack pointed out, crouching down a little.

He grunted when he took on Mac’s weight, but stood up almost effortlessly, hands warm where they wrapped around Mac’s thighs. His shoulders were powerful, muscles rippling under Mac’s body, and it took every ounce of self-control Mac had to not pop a boner right there. He forced himself to think about dead bodies and explosions, anything to distract himself from those very inappropriate thoughts that kept coming to him. He watched as Riley climbed on Desi’s shoulders, chewing on her lower lip since Desi couldn’t see her face, and Mac gave her a knowing look, smiling when she stuck her tongue out.

“Pretty sure I work out my upper body more than you,” Riley said as Jack and Desi got closer to each other. “This should be easy.”

“Is that the best trash talk you’ve got?” Mac raised an eyebrow, grabbing Riley’s forearms when they came in range and pushing a little. “Because it could use some work.”

Riley swatted his hands away while Desi cursed under her breath when Mac’s push made her stumble just a little. “Come on, hoss, you can take her!” Jack yelled like the great cheerleader that he was. Mac huffed out a laugh and started wrestling with Riley when she came at him, grunting when Jack had to take a step back.

They pushed and shoved for several moments, and Riley wasn’t kidding about her arm strength. Mac had to work to keep up with her, let alone gain an advantage, and he had her on the ropes when he felt Jack’s foot slip on the sand. That was the only warning Mac got before they both went careening into the water, Riley and Desi’s cheers muffled by the waves. Mac surfaced when Jack tugged him upright, pushing Mac’s hair away from his face for him. “You okay, Mac?”

“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” Mac stuttered out, spitting out some water, caught off guard by the amount of concern in Jack’s eyes. “All good, man.”

“Alright, ladies, we want a rematch after dinner,” Jack said, and the girls instantly nodded, grinning widely.

Before Mac could suggest that maybe that wasn’t the greatest idea, Steve, Danny, and Bozer showed up, walking up to the beach to join them. “We’ve got the food,” Steve announced, watching them all in amusement. “I see you’ve been having fun.”

“Well duh, how could we resist the beach?” Riley hopped off Desi’s shoulders and high-fived her, looking happier than Mac had seen her in... a long time, come to think of it. “Is it fried chicken time, Jack?”

“You bet your ass it is,” Jack replied, and Mac tried not to drool as he got out of the water, swimsuit hanging low on his hips. “Let me just dry off and I’ll get in the kitchen. Who wants to help?”

While Mac would love to spend even more time with Jack he knew he’d get kicked out of the kitchen, but he tried anyway. “I could—”

“Nope,” Jack immediately interjected, holding one hand up. “We’re not in your house, there aren’t seven fire extinguishers in the kitchen alone, we’re not gonna burn McGarrett’s house down. Bozer?”

“Sure, I can make the green beans,” Bozer volunteered, handing Jack his towel. “And apparently Danny’s a pretty good cook too.”

“I’m sorry, _that’s_ what you got out of that conversation?” Steve asks incredulously. “We’re _both_ good cooks, thank you very much.”

“Yeah, but I’d rather be in the kitchen with him,” Jack said, nodding toward Danny. “You’re up, Williams.”

“See, finally someone appreciates me and my cooking talent,” Danny said, grinning smugly at Steve. “Unlike you, you animal.”

Steve sputtered, but no one paid him any mind and Danny walked away, leading Jack and Bozer to show them where the kitchen was. “How about some sunbathing?” Riley suggested, and Desi nodded with a smile, and they both grabbed their towels and moved to lay them out on the grass, leaving Mac alone with Steve.

“Here,” Steve said, tossing him his towel, and it might be Mac’s imagination but it seemed like Steve checked him out for a split second. “I was thinking about working on my old man’s car. You wanna join me?”

“Sure,” Mac replied, hoping his face wasn’t on fire. “Let me just put on some real clothes.”

“I’ll be in the garage,” Steve told him, and then Mac headed back to the house, going upstairs.

He heard Danny and Jack talk loudly about something, and he smiled a little, glad that Jack’s having fun. He put on a pair of jeans and one of his button-ups, running his fingers through his damp hair before heading down to the garage. When he gets there he saw Steve already had the door open and the hood popped on a Mercury Marquis, and Mac let out an appreciative whistle. “Wow, this is nice,” he said, running a hand along the line of the roof. He frowned when he saw all the parts scattered on the floor. “Does it not run?”

“Not really, no,” Steve replied, wincing a little. “The last time I took it out it rebelled against me and I had to push it, Danny wasn’t too thrilled.” He chuckled. “It also got stolen one time, but thankfully I got it back. It’s a long story.”

“My grandfather left me a motorcycle that doesn’t run,” Mac said, leaning in to look at the engine. “I work on it every once in a while, but I feel like I never have the time to get it right.”

“Same here,” Steve said softly, flipping the wrench in his hand with ease. “Work always seems to get in the way.”

“Maybe we work too much,” Mac said, smiling when Steve chuckled again. “But it seems that whenever I take time off, the world starts to crash and burn. Hopefully that won’t be the case this time... especially since I quit my job for good.”

Steve raised an eyebrow as he took the wrench to the car. “Oh yeah? Jack mentioned that you needed some time off, but he didn’t say what went down.” Mac smiled a little because of course Jack kept it private—he was always considerate like that. He told Steve what happened in broad strokes, and to his surprise his expression turned sympathetic. “My mother works for the CIA,” Steve said grimly. “She let me and my sister believe she was dead for years.”

Mac blinked at him slowly. “That’s... fucked up,” he said, shaking his head. “And it’s freaky how similar it is to my situation, maybe we should start a club or something.”

“Right?” Steve huffed out in amusement. “Seems like one in a million kind of thing... but here we are. Did your old man give you the speech about doing it all to protect you?”

“Oh my God, he _did_ ,” Mac said. “And he said that he thought I’d be better off without him in the long run, plus I remind him too much of my mom.”

“Me too!” Steve exclaimed, punching him in the shoulder. “We really should start a club. This is crazy.”

“I doubt anyone else would join, but that sounds fun,” Mac said, but then tilted his head as he reconsidered. “Well, maybe not fun since I think all we would talk about would be the trauma they put us through, but you get what I mean.”

“I really do,” Steve sighed. “Danny would most likely suggest we hire a shrink to run the meetings at our club.”

Mac wrinkled his nose. “I hate shrinks. I mean I appreciate what they do, but all the ones I’ve seen weren’t very... sympathetic.” He started fiddling with the battery and some other parts, trying to get the engine to come to life. “Wow, you really fucked this poor car up. I think you need to order parts, unless you just want me to fix it with duct tape.”

“I didn’t fuck it up!” Steve protested, but he deflated a little when Mac gave him a pointed look. “Fine, maybe I did, just a little. The thing is, it’s not easy to get parts for this old girl.”

Mac thought about it for a moment, looking at the engine. “I know a guy,” he eventually said, grinning at Steve. “I’m pretty sure he could get you everything you need.”

Steve grinned back. “Are you suggesting we go raid a junkyard?”

“Of course I am,” Mac replied, hanging on to the hood to keep himself from leaning too close to Steve. He really was handsome, and even though he was clearly gone on Danny... it was nice to talk to someone like this. “How about after lunch?”

“It’s a date,” Steve said with a wide grin, and Mac’s stomach swooped a little. Not like it did whenever he was around Jack, but... again, this was nice. “You know, you’re not exactly the way I imagined you after Chin and Kono had rambled about you for three days straight,” he added, tilting his head. “You’re not as nerdy as I thought you’d be... plus they didn’t mention you were in the Army, I didn’t see that one coming.”

“Nobody ever does,” Mac said dryly, stepping back so Steve could shut the hood. They both wiped the grease off their hands on rags. “Apparently I look like I’m twelve years old, so that always throws people off as it is. Then when they hear I’ve been in the military they figure I was a doctor or something, not a bomb tech.”

“Huge respect, man,” Steve said, and Mac could tell he meant it. “You and Jack met during a deployment, right?”

“Yeah, in Afghanistan,” Mac confirmed, smiling at the memory. “He was assigned to me as my new overwatch... but before we knew about that I tried to fix his rifle without asking first and he punched me for that.”

Steve chuckled. “That sounds like Dalton all right. He’s always been the type to punch first and ask questions later when it comes to his guns.” Instead of heading into the house they walked outside, and Steve closed his eyes when the sun hit his face. “Definitely a good day for raiding the junkyard.”

Since Steve couldn’t catch him staring with his eyes closed, Mac looked at him for a moment, trying to ignore how his stomach tightened pleasantly. As he already realized before, Steve was stupidly attractive and while Mac’s love for Jack was absolute, it’d been a while since he got laid and his body was reacting automatically. Especially since Steve could technically be available when it came to batting for the same team if the way he was looking at Danny was any indication. Mac decided he’d keep the possibility on the back burner, and they went inside where Jack was ordering Danny and Bozer around.

When Jack caught sight of Mac and Steve he immediately waved them away. “You two need to go pick up lunch,” he said, watching Bozer prep the green beans. “This chicken needs to soak for a few hours, we’ll have it for dinner.”

“Okay,” Mac said slowly, unable to hold back a smile as he watched them work. “Anything in particular we should get?”

“Whatever you get, make sure you’ve got your wallet with you,” Danny told him, shooting Steve a look. “Because I guarantee the Neanderthal over here will ‘accidentally’ forget it.”

“Hey, who paid for groceries earlier?” Steve reached in his back pocket and showed off his wallet. “It’s right here. I promise I’ll be good.”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Mac said, giving them a little wave before he headed out the door with Steve. They got in his truck, and once Mac’s buckled in he asked, “What’s lunch gonna be?”

“I’m tempted to get only pizzas with only pineapple to piss Danny off,” Steve grumbled, but it was obvious he wasn’t annoyed. Instead there was this fond note in his voice, one that Mac knew all too well. He winced when Steve mentioned the pineapple pizza and Steve chuckled when he noticed. “You also hate it? Come on!”

“Maybe not hate it, but... I’m not a fan,” Mac said. “Jack loves it though.”

“Shit, then we have to get at least two,” Steve declared, and clearly he had a place in mind because he drove with purpose... and the desire Mac felt was only getting stronger. “What kind of pizza _do_ you like?”

“Pepperoni,” Mac said absently, forcing himself to look out the window at the scenery. “Or anything not pineapple.”

“I can work with that,” Steve said, easily driving one handed, just like Jack... and Mac dug his nails into his palms to stop himself from thinking anything inappropriate.

This was ridiculous, he just met Steve _today_ , plus he was a friend of Jack’s... but it’d been a long few days, stressful as fuck, and Mac suddenly understood what Jack always meant when he talked about having this weird energy after some missions that could be worked out only in one certain way. Of course Jack had never wanted to work it out with _him_ which hurt more than it should have. 

Mac was brought back by the truck stopping and when he looked up he was startled to see they weren't in front of a pizza place. Instead they were parked in a secluded spot pretty much in the middle of nowhere, which meant either Steve had the same idea Mac did... or he was planning to kill him.

Taking a deep breath, Mac focused on keeping his voice steady. "Well, this is _not_ a pizza place," he started, sounding more calm than he actually felt. "Which means you're either planning to dump my body here... or do something else."

Steve was quiet for a beat, then he replied, “If I was going to kill you I wouldn’t bring you here. There’s about ten easier places on the island to get rid of a body.” It was such a practical response that it made Mac laugh, but the sound died in his throat when Steve put a hand on his shoulder, huge and warm. “So I guess I’m not reading this wrong, huh?”

Mac swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. “No, I guess you’re not,” he said, turning his head to finally look at Steve. He was once again hit with how handsome he was, his eyes even darker than before. This was a terrible idea, there was no doubt about that, but in this moment Mac decided he could worry about the consequences later. “So... what did you have in mind?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so... this is the chapter where this fic earns its rating! **Please read the tags I've added so you get a better idea of what the sex between Steve and Mac contains! Everything is 100% consensual, but it IS kinky!** If that's not your cup of tea I would skip to the scene from Jack's POV. Enjoy!

Steve moved his hand, unbuckling Mac’s seatbelt before he did the same to his own. Then he crawled into the back of the truck cab, looking at Mac expectantly, legs spread in invitation. That was about all Mac could take and he climbed back there too, straddling Steve’s powerful thighs. He was _warm_ even through their clothes, and Mac shuddered when Steve’s hands settled on his waist, gaze flicking down to his lips. He put his hands on Steve’s shoulders, and he knew that if he thought about it too much he would to talk himself out of it... so instead he leaned in to press their lips together.

Steve squeezed his waist and made a soft sound in the back of his throat as he kissed him back, and while there weren’t any fireworks the kiss felt good. Mac had never been someone who enjoyed casual sex or one night stands, but... this was different somehow. He felt like he and Steve could actually be friends, for one thing, and for another he knew Steve had feelings for someone else too, so there was no awkwardness there. He nipped on Steve’s lower lip and groaned when his tongue slid into Mac’s mouth, the low-level arousal he’d been feeling growing hotter as he fisted his hands in Steve’s t-shirt.

Steve’s hands squeezed his waist again before they moved to run up and down his back, pulling him closer. The kiss became more heated and urgent, their tongues sliding together, and Mac moaned against Steve’s lips when his hands slid lower to grope his ass. He broke the kiss, but only to tug on Steve’s t-shirt, yanking it over his head before kissing him again. His hands explored Steve’s chest and abs and Mac broke the kiss again when Steve pushed his hands up the back of Mac’s shirt.

He pulled it off and pushed his hair out of his face, making a low noise when Steve drew him in to mouth at his jaw and throat. He didn’t use teeth or leave marks which Mac appreciated, rocking his half-hard cock down against Steve’s thigh. He groaned quietly when one of Steve’s hands slid into his hair, the other one going back to Mac’s ass. His fingers slid between the waistband of his jeans and his skin so that he could grope his ass without his pants getting in the way, and Mac let out a higher sound when those fingers slipped between his ass cheeks.

They teased small circles over his entrance as Steve tugged on his hair with his other hand, making Mac arch his back into that painful tingle. He gasped when Steve’s lips closed around one of his nipples, teeth and tongue teasing at sensitive flesh. All that sensation went straight to Mac’s dick, straining in his jeans. He felt Steve smirk against his skin, both of his hands moving to the front of Mac’s jeans, fingers fiddling with his belt buckle.

Mac framed his face with his hands and dragged him for another kiss, moaning when Steve clearly took it as a green light and opened his belt, pulling down the zipper and pressing his palm again his cock once he got his jeans open. His hands were the size and shape of Jack’s and for a split second Mac imagined that was who he was with, even though he knew it wasn’t true. Pushing aside the traitorous ache in his heart, Mac leaned into Steve’s touch, practically panting by the time his fingers wrap around his cock.

“What do you want, Mac?” Steve asked against his ear, voice gone raspy with lust. “Because I’m up for just about anything.”

Mac did his best to focus and think, but it wasn’t easy with Steve stroking him slowly. Once his brain managed to somehow work he figured that since he was already doing something so stupid, he might as well just... go for it and enjoy it as much as he can. “Yeah?” he murmured, nipping on Steve’s earlobe. “You think you’d be up for fucking me here?”

“God yes,” Steve groaned out, dry fingers pushing at his entrance but not actually breaching him. “There should be some stuff in here, hang on.” He took both hands off Mac for a moment, who whined at the loss but perked up again when he saw Steve reaching for a bag tucked under the driver’s seat. There were all kinds of things inside it: a first aid kit, road flares... and way at the bottom, some lube and condoms.

Mac laughed breathlessly. “Seriously?”

Steve grinned at him. “What?” he asked, grabbing the items and tossing them on the backseat. “You never know how a date is gonna end.”

Mac huffed in amusement, but before he could reply he yelped when the world spun suddenly and he found himself lying on his back on the backseat. He blinked up at Steve, who kicked off his boots before going to work on Mac’s, tossing them aside. He grinned wolfishly and tugged on Mac’s jeans, pulling them off along with his underwear. Then he got undressed too, not an easy task in the confines of the truck, before climbing on the seat and hooking Mac’s legs over his shoulders.

Mac felt himself flush, knowing his fully exposed like that. “Good thing you’re so flexible,” Steve muttered, reaching for the lube and popping it open.

He poured some on his fingers before he leaned down to kiss Mac again, his hand sliding between his legs. Mac couldn’t help but tense a little when he felt one of Steve’s fingers circle his entrance, and he gasped when Steve slowly pushed it inside. That blunt pressure made something pleasant flutter low in his belly and Mac wished he could get his arms around Steve but his legs are in the way. He settled for clawing at the upholstery instead, tossing his head back as Steve stretched him open.

It wasn’t long before Steve added a second finger, making Mac moan, his back arching. It burned, but in a good way, and the light pain was quickly replaced by pleasure that only intensifies when Steve’s fingers nudged his prostate. He groaned loudly, hips twitching, and Steve started moving his fingers a little faster and harder, hitting the spot more often.

Mac’s thighs trembled and he was _so_ close, but evidently Steve sensed that because he backed off. He slid a third finger in, spreading them a little, his mouth trailing fire across Mac’s jaw. He wasn’t even inside Mac yet and already Mac was wondering when they could do this again without the others suspecting anything. The trip to the junkyard seemed like the perfect time, and the idea of Steve bending him over a rusty car shouldn’t turn Mac on as much as it did.

“Come on,” Mac gritted out, needing Steve inside him because otherwise he will go insane. “I’m good.”

“Bossy,” Steve muttered, but he was grinning as he pulls his fingers out, causing Mac to whine.

Steve reached for the condoms and grabbed one, opening it with his teeth and rolling it on his cock before getting more lube and lining himself up against Mac’s entrance. Mac hadn’t gotten a good look at Steve’s cock yet but he felt big, long and thick where he was pressing on Mac’s hole. When he started pushing inside his mouth dropped open, weight braced on his forearms. He didn’t stop until he was completely sheathed inside Mac’s body, and Mac... Mac was _full_ and so blissed out he felt like he might float away.

It’d been a long time since he was with a guy and he really missed that feeling, so he closed his eyes and moaned, letting himself enjoy it. Steve panted heavily above him, giving Mac a moment to get used to the stretch before he drew his hips back a little and pushed inside again, both of them groaning. Steve started up a slow rhythm, pulling back and shoving forward again, the windows of the truck fogging. If anyone walked by they’d know exactly what was happening inside and Mac whined at the thought of getting caught. His eyes rolled back in his head when Steve slammed his hips forward harder, bending Mac in half in his efforts to reach deeper inside his body.

“Fuck,” Steve grunted, setting up a quick pace, fucking Mac fast and hard. He groaned when Mac clenched around him, and Mac cried out brokenly when Steve slammed into his prostate over and over again, hips move smoothly like a well-oiled machine.

“Oh god,” Mac choked out, fingers digging in the upholstery, a familiar warmth coiling low in his stomach. “So close.”

Steve’s hand shifted, dragging down Mac’s abs before his fingers curled tight around the base of his cock. “Not yet,” he gritted out, and Mac flushed red hot, continuing to moan loudly as Steve chased his own release.

He snapped his hips forward once, twice, then came with a guttural sound, pulsing as he filled up the condom. He pulled out after a few seconds, letting Mac’s legs drop and shoving three fingers inside his gaping hole. Mac groaned loudly, his hands moving to grip Steve’s shoulders, fingernails digging into his skin. Steve started roughly fucking him with his fingers, moving them in and out mercilessly, and Mac shouted when they slammed into his prostate. He felt like he was on fire, his cock red and aching, and he wanted to come so badly he was close to exploding.

Steve didn’t say a word which somehow made the whole thing hotter, and he deprived Mac of his orgasm for what felt like hours. He found his prostate again and stayed there, rubbing harsh circles into it and making Mac sob. Then he pressed down _hard_ , squeezing Mac’s cock to the point of pain and making his head spin. His vision blurred and a moment later Mac felt tears roll down his cheeks as he whimpered, his hips twitching helplessly.

He wasn’t sure if Steve wanted him to beg, but right now he was unable to speak, so that wasn’t happening—instead he just kept moaning as Steve started fingering him again. Due to all the stimulation Mac barely noticed when Steve let go of his cock, and he wondered if that was the point. He mewled and twitched his hips as the touched to his prostate get infuriatingly soft and gentle.

Seeing this Steve smirked and leaned in, nipping at Mac’s earlobe before he said, “You’ve been so good for me, Mac. We’ve been here for a half-hour and you’ve done so well.” He rubbed his cock against Mac’s hole, already spread wide by his fingers. “I’m hard again... and I’m clean, so I’d love to fuck you bare. Get you nice and wet with my come, then use the little toy I’ve got in my bag to keep you full. It’s meant for a woman, but it’ll work on you just fine.” The head of his cock slipped past Mac’s rim, snug between Steve’s fingers. “What do you say?”

Mac blinked at him, forcing his brain to think about this. He knew Steve was a good guy—Jack said so himself, so there was no reason Mac shouldn’t trust him... but he _should_ stop thinking about Jack right now. “I... yeah, okay,” he breathed out, swallowing hard. “Go for it.”

Steve smirked at him again and pressed their lips together in a hard, filthy kiss, replacing his fingers with his cock, pushing in much faster than the first time. It was almost too much, every one of Mac’s nerves on fire, but he _loved_ it, loved the feeling of being used like this. The next thing he knew Steve was grunting and pulling him up, repositioning them. He sat upright in the seat with Mac in his lap, back to Steve’s chest... and then he got his arms under Mac’s knees and started hammering into him at blinding speed.

Mac cried out loudly, throwing his head back, more high and desperate sounds falling from his mouth. The only thing he could do in this position was take it and let Steve do whatever he wanted... and because his brain was a traitor, he closed his eyes and imagines it was Jack fucking and taking him like that. There was nothing Mac wouldn’t let Jack do to him, and that was part of why he had no problem with the kinky stuff Steve suggested—because he was imagined things like it before with Jack.

It wasn’t hard to picture Jack fucking him like this, since he was just as strong as Steve was and Mac thought his cock might be even bigger. He’d been on edge for so long that he thought he’d come easily, but it didn’t happen, the desire burning in him but not breaking. When Steve slowed his movements a little Mac whimpered and cried, gasping when he wrapped a hand around his cock, squeezing the base again.

“You want to come so badly, don’t you,” Steve said, a statement and not a question. His other hand felt at where they were connected, pushing a finger in alongside his cock and making Mac’s rim burn. “What if I don’t let you?”

Mac sobbed quietly, pretty sure this was going to kill him at some point, and he took a few shaky breaths. “T-then I won’t,” he whispered, his voice cracking, and he moaned when Steve started moving his finger in and out, his cock still buried deep inside him. It hurt, but Mac loved it, whimpering softly... and he decided that he will _not_ beg.

Steve grinned against his ear, biting at the shell. “That was the right answer,” he said, slowly starting to move his cock in time with the finger. Bright stars of pain and pleasure clouded Mac’s vision and he almost missed it when Steve started letting his leaking cock slip through his fist with each movement of his hips. “That’s it,” he murmured encouragingly, his whole hand wet with Mac’s precome. “It’s gonna be so good once you get there, Mac. Nice and slow.”

Mac’s breath hitched and he mewled softly, feeling like he was floating somewhere far away. He wanted to thrust into Steve’s fist or push back against his cock and finger, but his body wasn’t listening to him, so he just slumped against Steve’s chest, shuddering under his touch. He wasn’t sure how much time passed with Steve stroking him slowly, his cock pumping in and out of him, but eventually the pleasure he felt started getting even more intense.

He twitched in Steve’s grasp, eyes falling shut and rolling back in his head. He was totally lost in the rhythm, limbs gone slack and fuzzy, all while that singular knot of pleasure in his belly drew tighter. It wasn’t ready to come undone, not yet, and while he was impatient for it before, now he felt... content to be fucked at this easy, firm pace, Steve’s thumb making the occasional pass over the weeping head of his cock.

“You’re almost there,” Steve said, his voice sounding far away. He drew out the finger that was alongside his cock and ran his hand up Mac’s chest, resting it against his throat.

It felt good, just like all of Mac did right now... and when he squeezed lightly, making it harder to breath, Mac sunk into the feeling. He shuddered again, his body jolting a little, and he moaned breathlessly. Steve’s hips were still thrusting up into him, moving in slow circles, but after a moment Mac realized Steve started stroking him faster. He moaned loudly, but the sound died down when Steve squeezed his throat a little tighter, cutting off his air.

Steve shushed him, alternating movements of his cock with choking Mac breathless. He kept it up for a while, but gradually his movements slowed and stopped. He kept his hand on Mac’s throat but didn’t apply pressure, his hand stroking rapidly over Mac’s cock now. “Come on,” he said, licking the salt off Mac’s skin. Pressure built inside Mac and it had nothing to do with how Steve’s hard cock was buried inside him. “Let go.”

“Oh—oh god,” Mac choked out, trembling violently, and then something just... snapped inside him. With a loud cry he arched against Steve and came so hard his vision went white for a moment, come spurting all over his abs and Steve’s hand. Steve worked him through it, stroking him fast until Mac whined and squirmed away, completely spent.

Steve rubbed his clean hand up and down Mac’s side for a moment, face pressed against his hair, and it was only then that Mac felt him shake. He sat up and leaned his weight on the center console, dropping his head against his forearms as he started rocking his hips, squeezing around Steve’s cock. “C’mon,” he mumbled, sighing when the head touched his abused prostate. “Come inside me.”

Steve’s completely stilled for a split second and then he growled, grasping Mac’s hips with both hands and squeezing tightly. He started moving again, pounding into Mac fast and hard, hips slamming mercilessly into him, and Mac could tell he was close from how frantically he was moving. Mac moaned and whimpered brokenly, letting Steve use him for chasing his pleasure, and it only took a moment longer for Steve to fall over the edge. Hot stickiness flooded his insides and Mac groaned with it, feeling completely debauched.

Steve thrusted a couple more times, pumping him full... and then he reached down for his bag again. He pulled out one of those wearable G-spot toys and rubbed the soft silicone against Mac’s ass cheek. “You still up for this?” he asked. “You can say no, obviously... but I’d really like to do this again soon.”

Mac swallowed hard, closing his eyes for a moment... and then he nodded. “Me too,” he whispered, and even though he loved everything they did, now that his mind wasn’t otherwise occupied, that Jack related ache was back in his heart. “I’m good.”

“Awesome,” Steve mumbled, and slowly pulled out, but before Mac could hiss at the loss, Steve slid the toy inside him. Mac moaned softly, the toy snug up against his prostate, only a little silicone tail sticking out of his hole. “Let me order the pizza on my phone,” Steve said, cleaning off his hands on an old t-shirt before doing the same to Mac. “Then we can either pick it up... or keep one for ourselves and send the rest to the house, head straight for the junkyard. Up to you.”

Mac exhaled shakily and straightened up, sitting on the backseat next to Steve. The toy shifted inside him and he stifled a groan when it ground into his prostate again, and he ran his fingers through his sweaty hair. “I guess we could use more time to make ourselves more... presentable,” he said in a hoarse voice. “But won’t the others get suspicious that we’re gone so long?”

“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Steve said, placing the pizza order on his phone before he showed Mac the screen. His messaged with Danny were open, and Mac smiled a little when he saw the last thing they texted about was the meeting at the airport this morning. The message Steve hadn’t sent yet said: **Having your pizza delivered, wanted to show Mac the veterans’ memorial before we head to the junkyard—Marquis needs parts**.

“That’s... pretty convincing, actually,” Mac said, and though he didn’t know the geography, he assumed it makes more sense for them to eat and run then it did to double back to Steve’s place. “So what are we _really_ gonna do?”

“We’re going to pick up our pizza,” Steve replied mildly, sending the text. He got a thumbs-up emoji from Danny a few seconds later and handed Mac his pants. “Then we’ll drive to the junkyard and look for parts... and after that...” He looked at Mac with lustful eyes, tongue darting out to lick his lower lip. “We’ll go somewhere nice and quiet, maybe get some use out of the rope I keep in the back.”

Mac swallowed, shuddering a little as his spent cock twitched in interest. “Sounds interesting,” he replied, somehow keeping his voice steady, and he put on his underwear and jeans. He thanked Steve quietly when he handed him his shirt and he put it on, buttoning it up and hoping it didn’t wrinkle too much.

“What’s on your mind?” Steve asked suddenly, looking at him curiously. “You’re quiet.”

Mac debated what to say for a moment, then went with the truth. “I don’t usually do this,” he told Steve, gesturing between them vaguely. “I mean I have sex, obviously, but I don’t... do hookups. Especially not with someone I just met.”

“Neither do I,” Steve replied, looking almost relieved. “I was kinda afraid you’d judge me, if I’m being honest.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” Mac said, smiling a little, running his fingers through his hair and watching Steve get dressed. “I usually try not to judge people, but since I’m the same it would be hypocritical of me to judge you.” Once they were dressed they crawl back to the front and Steve started the engine. “Steve, I...” Mac started after a moment, chewing on his lower lip. “This stays between us, right? It’s not that I’m ashamed or anything, I just... don’t want the others to know. Jack especially.”

“That’s fine, man,” Steve assured, patting him on the leg before he pulled back on the road. “Believe me, I’d never hear the end of it if Danny found out. He seems to think every woman I date is the one I should marry... but he also doesn’t know I’m bisexual.”

“Jack, uh, doesn’t know that about me either,” Mac said, swallowing hard. “Does he know about you?”

Steve chuckled. “I’d hope so, considering we used to sleep together.”

Mac’s jaw dropped open in shock and his brain short-circuited, white noise filling the inside of his head. “W-what?” he stuttered out, amazed he could even come up with words at this point. He blinked a few times, shaking his head a little... but it didn’t help and he was pretty much paralyzed with shock. “You and... Jack? You two... so that means... Jack’s bi?”

Steve frowned, glancing over as they pulled into the pizza place. A delivery truck was leaving, probably with the food for the others. “Shit, did I just out him? Yeah, we’d blow off steam together sometimes. It wasn’t romantic or anything, and obviously we’re still friends.” He killed the engine and popped his door. “I’ll be right back with our pizza, okay?”

Mac nodded, not really hearing Steve, and he stared ahead, trying to wrap his mind around this. Jack being into guys meant that... that technically there would be a chance for them to become more... but if Jack was interested he would surely say something, right? _Not if he was convinced you were straight_ , a voice in his head helpfully said, and Mac exhaled shakily, rubbing his eyes with his hand.

It was so much easier thinking Jack was straight and therefore totally unattainable, but now... now Mac had to wonder if he should take a chance. This wasn’t the time, obviously—he’d have to talk to Jack later, feel things out when the others weren’t around. Maybe while they were skinny dipping after dinner, just the two of them...

~***~

As he checked out on the chicken, Jack’s stomach growled loudly. “Where the hell did Mac and Steve disappear?” he groaned, glancing at Danny who was sitting on the counter with his phone. “It’s been so long.”

“Steve just texted, they’re sending the pizza over,” Danny replied, waving his phone around. “Apparently he wanted to show Mac the veterans’ memorial and then they’re heading straight to the junkyard to look for parts for Steve’s old car.”

That made sense, Jack supposed, so why did he feel a pang of jealousy? It wasn’t like he was Mac’s only friend, any more than Danny was Steve’s. “Oh, okay,” he said, trying to brush it off and failing miserably from the way Bozer and Danny both look at him. “What? I knew they’d get along, it’s no big deal. At least we’re getting lunch out of it.”

“You know, man, you’re this super awesome spy, the best one there is from what I hear,” Bozer started, looking at him dubiously. “And yet I can see right through you right now.”

“Dude, come on,” Jack said, rolling his eyes. “It’s all good, I mean it. I’m glad Mac’s doin’ something to keep himself busy and stop thinkin’ about his old man.”

“Yeah, from what I’ve heard that’s probably a good thing,” Danny agreed, slipping his phone back in his pocket. He had a nice ass, Jack noted, but he didn’t let himself get distracted. “But you’re still full of shit. If you wish he was with you instead that’s not strange, I mean clearly you’ve got a crush the size of Alaska on the guy.”

Jack nearly dropped the spoon he was holding, but years of training come in handy right now... and maybe he should start using his acting skills more if he was becoming so transparent. “What on earth are you talkin’ about?” he asked incredulously while his heart pounded like crazy. “Mac’s my partner and my friend, that’s it.” He shook his head. “Where are you even getting this from?”

“The way you look at him when you think he isn’t looking,” Danny replied calmly, smiling a little. “And the way you just freaked out when I suggested that.”

“Damn, Jack, he’s good,” Bozer said with a low whistle. “I mean I’ve known you guys were in love for years and he figured it out in a couple hours.”

“That’s not—I’m not—oh, for fuck’s sake,” Jack groaned, leaning against the counter and tilting his head back, staring at the ceiling. “Fine, fine, I admit I might—wait, what did you just say?” he asked when the rest of what Bozer said registered in his brain. “You said... _we_ were in love for years? What did you mean by that?”

Bozer froze like a deer in headlights, then shot Danny a dirty look when he started cackling. “I didn’t mean anything by it,” he tried, but Jack just glared at him. “Okay, fine! Mac’s had feelings for you since he came back from Afghanistan but he never said anything, I think mostly because he thinks you’re straight.”

This time Jack did drop the spoon and he stared at Bozer with huge eyes. “What?” he breathed out. “Mac’s... not straight? And he has... feelings for... me?”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Bozer mumbled under his breath, burying his face in his hands. “I can’t believe I just ousted him _again_ , fuck, he’s going to kill me, resurrect me, then kill me again.”

“Wait, you’ve outed him before?” Danny asked, barely audible over the ringing in Jack’s ears. “When was that?”

“I did it accidentally at a party, I was sure he was gonna murder me,” Bozer said, looking at Jack like he expected him to lose his shit. “Except he wound up dating one of the guys there for a little bit.”

“I... I can’t believe he’s never told me,” Jack whispered, suddenly feeling like his knees were about to give out. He never even considered Mac being anything but straight, so he always assumed there was no chance in the world for them to become... more, but now...

“What, like you’ve told him about yourself?” Danny asked, interrupting his train of thought, raising his eyebrow at him.

That was... a fair point, and it hit Jack like a punch to the gut. How could he expect Mac to be honest with him if he wasn’t willing to share that part of himself? “Shit,” Jack whispered, absentmindedly turning over the chicken in its soak. “I have to talk to him when he gets back.”

“If you could _not_ mention my part in this, that would be amazing,” Bozer said pleadingly, his eyes wide. “He’s going to kill me, I mean it.”

“Do you honestly think he’s not gonna figure that out?” Jack asked, looking at Bozer like he lost his last marble. His mind was still spinning and he wondered if maybe... if maybe he had a chance with Mac? Or will he think Jack’s just a creepy old man? “You know how smart he is.” He sighed. “Fuck, now I’m even more jealous about him bein’ with Steve.”

Danny went still, which seemed wrong given how much he moved around. “And why would that be?” he asked, his voice gone hoarse.

“Oh shit,” Jack said, realization dawning. “You didn’t know Steve was bisexual? He and I used to hook up!”

“You did _what_?!” Danny asked, his voice getting louder, and he suddenly started moving twice as much. He paced around the kitchen, waving his hands around frantically. “He’s into guys?” he asked, kind of squeaking. “And you two... fuck, he never told me that!”

“Wait, so are _you_ into guys?” Bozer asked, then his eyes got huge. “Wait, you’re into _Steve_!”

“Well of course I am!” Danny griped, tugging at his hair. “You’ve seen him, right? He’s a complete animal, but...” He blew out a harsh breath. “Fuck me. What the hell do I do now?”

“Maybe... talk to him?” Bozer suggested. “Like Jack’s planning to do with Mac?”

“And say what?” Danny asked, going back to pacing around. “Hey, Steven, I’m bisexual! And you know what, I’ve been in love with you for years, surprise!” He exhaled slowly. “I’m sure that would go just great, Bozer.”

“Hey, if I have to do it then so do you,” Jack said, and he was only kind of teasing. A thought occurred to him, but it was so far-fetched that it couldn’t be true. “Do you think... nah, that wouldn’t happen.” When Bozer made a curious sound, Jack finished it: “You think Mac and Steve...?”

“Mac and Steve what?” Danny asked incredulously. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?” He went quiet for a moment, thinking about it, and in the meantime Jack tried to ignore how his stomach tightened in one big knot. “I mean, Steve doesn’t... do that,” Danny continued after a moment, but he didn’t sound too certain. “He doesn’t hook up with basically strangers, as far as I know.”

“Yeah, but Mac is... special,” Jack said, his voice strangling on the last word. “He has this way with people even though he thinks he doesn’t...” He forced himself to shrug it off and push that out of his mind.

At that moment the doorbell rang, and when Bozer went to answer it the pizza guy was on the other side. Turned out Steve already paid for the pizzas which was quite a shocker, but Jack was too distracted to think about it in more detail. Judging by the look on Danny’s face he was going through something similar and Jack cursed himself for even coming up with the idea of Steve and Mac hooking up in the first place.

“I’m sure I’m just being paranoid,” Jack said once Danny helped Bozer lug the pizzas over to the counter. “Don’t worry about them.”

“I’m not worried,” Danny said, sounding anything but. He went to the back door and stuck his head outside. “Pizza’s here! And in the mood I’m in I’ll eat it all, so you better come quick!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! In this chapter, be prepared for EVEN MORE SMUT, love confessions, and some angst! Also, to the anon that asked me FOREVER AGO for a fic with skinny dipping: here it is! This probably isn't what you were expecting, but I hope it's okay anyway!

After eating their pizza in the truck Steve drove them to the junkyard and on the way they discussed what exactly was wrong with his car... and it turned out that it was pretty much everything. Mac wasn’t sure how many parts they would find—if any at all—but from experience he knew that the odds were actually in their favor. It was almost like nothing happened between them earlier, except for the pleasant ache in Mac’s ass. Whenever he shifted in his seat he felt the G-spot toy press against his prostate and had to suppress shivers.

They got out of the truck when they arrived at the junkyard and Steve greeted the guy who ran the place. Mac went off on his own a little ways, trying not to get a boner as he looked through a pile of parts. He couldn’t really explain why exactly his body was reacting like that. He knew one of the reasons was searching around stuff and parts that could be used for something— tinkering was something that in good circumstances could get him going—and another reason... well, Mac couldn’t stop thinking about how Steve looked at him earlier and even though it was once again a terrible idea, Mac really wanted to do... more with him.

Shaking his head a little, Mac forced himself to concentrate on the task at hand. He sorted through everything he found and decided what they’d buy. He needed a couple more things so he went to an old sedan that’d been mostly gutted and leaned into the engine compartment to look. He heard footsteps behind him, and a moment later Steve’s hands landed on Mac’s hips as he pressed up behind him. “Bob went back into his office,” he said before Mac could ask. “You find everything?”

“Uh, pretty much,” Mac replied, gripping the edge of the car, trying to keep his cool. “I put it on the pile over there... and I was hoping I could find the last few things we need in this old thing.”

“And?” Steve asked in a low voice, squeezing Mac’s hips before grinding lightly against his ass. “Any success?”

“Mhmm.” Mac bit the inside of his cheek when the bulge of Steve’s cock pushed on the toy in his ass. “You can probably pay Bob.”

“Already did,” Steve said against his ear, breath warm. “He charges a flat rate. Let’s get this stuff in the truck.” He pulled back and grabbed a bunch of parts, walking them back to the truck and putting them in the back like nothing unusual happened.

Mac swallowed and took a slow, deep breath before he bent down and grabbed the rest of the parts. He headed to the truck, putting them in the back like Steve did, and then he looked at him, tilting his head. “So now what?”

“Now get in the truck,” Steve said, grinning a little. “We’re getting outta here.” They climbed in and Steve pulled a smooth U-turn, heading back out on the road. He drove for a while until they were further away from the city, in an area surrounded by lush foliage. He pulled into a copse of dense trees that made the truck practically invisible from the road, then killed the engine and looked at Mac curiously. “You still up for more? Because I wasn’t kidding about that rope... and I’ve got a blanket we can spread on the ground outside.”

Mac shivered in anticipation and smiled, already reaching for the door handle. “It’s definitely going to be more comfortable than the backseat,” he said, and got out of the car, Steve following a split second later.

Mac glanced around curiously while Steve rummaged in the back, and a moment later he spread a blanket on the grass, tossing the rope on top of it. Mac saw a flash of teeth before Steve grabbed him by the shoulders and backed him up against the side of the truck. He kissed Mac hard, skipping the preamble from earlier, and Mac liked it a lot. He wrapped his arms around Steve and fisted his hands in the back of his shirt, twining their tongues together and moaning when Steve pushed a leg between his own.

His hips twitched as he ground his half-hard cock against Steve’s thigh, and he gripped his t-shirt tightly, tugging on it impatiently. Steve broke the kiss and grinned before he pulled the shirt over his head, revealing that muscular chest that made Mac’s mouth water. “Stupid buttons,” Steve mumbled, leaning in for another kiss as he worked on Mac’s buttons, eventually giving up and yanking the shirt up over his head instead.

Mac didn’t care in the slightest, too focused on the gorgeous man in front of him and the low thrum of arousal in his body. He squeaked in surprise when Steve put his hands under his thighs and lifted him, kissing him again even as he turned them and laid Mac out on top of the blanket. They both kicked off their boots and then Steve opened Mac’s jeans, mumbling against his mouth, “I went out with a girl who was into shibari... I can tie you up so you can’t come.”

Mac shuddered and moaned softly, nodding when Steve lifted his head to meet his gaze. He smirked widely and knelt between Mac’s legs, pulling off his jeans along with his underwear and tossing them aside. He took a moment to just stare at Mac, slowly looking him up and down, and Mac couldn’t help but squirm a little, not used to feeling like he was on display.

“You’re gorgeous,” Steve murmured, sliding those rough hands up the insides of Mac’s thighs, dragging his trigger finger down the length of Mac’s erection. “I should’ve said that earlier.”

He grasped Mac’s hips and turned him over so he was on his forearms and knees, then picked up the rope. As soon as it wrapped around Mac’s wrists he felt that it was heavy-duty nylon and wouldn’t budge, and that... was a real turn on. After binding Mac’s wrists Steve dragged the rope down to his cock, circling it around the base a couple of times before bringing it down to his ankles, binding those together as well.

The pressure around his cock made him sigh, shuddering as he pressed his face into his arms, plugged ass on display for Steve to do whatever he pleased with. He feels Steve get up and he realizes he’s going back to the truck to grab the lube. When he came back Mac heard the rustling of his jeans as Steve got undressed, and when he knelt down on the blanket he pressed himself against Mac, his hard cock grinding against one of his ass cheeks.

“Oh, this is perfect,” Steve mumbled, fiddling with the toy a little, and Mac moaned softly when it moved inside him. Steve didn’t tease him too much, easing the toy out of his body and dipping a couple of fingers inside Mac’s already messy hole. He was checking to make sure Mac was still stretched, he realized absently, and that was... really nice. There were sounds indicating he slicked up his cock, and then it was rubbing against Mac’s entrance as Steve asked, “You ready?”

“Y-yeah, I’m good,” Mac replied in a hoarse voice, and moaned loudly when Steve started pushing inside him. He wasn’t being gentle, thrusting into him in one smooth move, but Mac didn’t mind, crying out brokenly.

He wondered if he should keep the noises down, not sure how public this spot was exactly, but Steve must’ve been reading his mind because he muttered, “Don’t worry about anyone hearing you. There’s no one around.”

Mac whimpered when Steve drew his hips back and pushed them forward again, setting up a quick, rough rhythm that had Mac seeing stars immediately. He loved the feeling of the ropes digging into his skin, how he couldn’t come even if he wanted to, and when Steve’s hand found his hair and yanked Mac’s whole body sang. Steve’s other hand gripped his hip so hard Mac’s pretty sure he would bruise, but right now he didn’t give a damn. He was crying out with every slam of Steve’s hips, howling in pleasure when he hit his prostate repeatedly. He couldn’t explain why, but once again he found himself almost... floating away, getting lost in how good it felt to be fucked like that and having no control at all.

Steve seemed to be enjoying himself too, pulling on Mac’s hair each time he thrusted inside him. He kept it up for what feels like hours, making Mac flush hot but unable to fall over the edge, and then he put a hand between Mac’s shoulder blades and started pressing down. It made Mac go toward the ground in increments, the slack on the rope disappearing as his bonds grew even tighter. The pressure around the base of his cock made him sob but he loved it, and soon he was flat on his front, driven down by Steve’s weight.

“Fuck, you feel so good, Mac,” Steve grunted, panting against his shoulder and pounding into him mercilessly. “So fucking tight, Jesus.”

He sounded wrecked, his voice low and raspy, and Mac could only sob and whimper in response, unable to come up with any words to say. Steve’s forearms were braced on the blanket, bracketing Mac’s head, and Steve continued moving fast, fucking Mac roughly as he chased his release. He came suddenly, gasping into Mac’s skin as his hips jerked and stuttered. Wet heat filled Mac’s insides and he felt used in the best possible way, eyes rolling up in his head. He whined when Steve pulled out, but the void left behind by his cock was quickly filled by the toy from earlier... only now it was _vibrating_. That made sense considering its intended use and Mac mewled when it touched his prostate.

“You didn’t beg before,” Steve observed, and fuck, Mac didn’t think he noticed that. He rubbed a hand over Mac’s ass cheek and slid two fingers in alongside the toy so he could control it better, stretching Mac wide. “But you’re going to this time. You don’t get to come until you do.”

Mac whimpered brokenly, squeezing his eyes shut. “P-please,” he whispered, flushing hot and swallowing hard, moaning when Steve’s fingers stretched him even more, the toy vibrating against his prostate. He exhaled shakily and continued, “Please, Steve, I—I need to come.”

“Mhmm, okay, since you asked so nicely,” Steve murmured, pulsing the toy against his prostate as he reached around to untie the ropes. Once that was done his hand closed around Mac’s cock, stroking him in time with the buzz of the toy. The dual sensation went straight to Mac’s brain and made everything short-circuit. “Go ahead, Mac. You can come.”

Mac sobbed loudly, burying his face in his arms, and after a moment he fell over the edge, crying out in pleasure as he started to come. His hips twitch erratically, thrusting into Steve’s fist and coming all over the blanket, whimpering as Steve worked him through it, pushing down on the toy to get it even deeper inside him.

Eventually Mac gasped and tried to move away, so Steve pulled the toy out and set it aside. He rubbed a hand up and down Mac’s side like he did before, blanketing him with his body and pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. It wasn’t romantic but simply comforting, and it allowed Mac to come down from his high a little easier. He was still panting, his heart pounding as he tried to catch his breath, and he closed his eyes, his whole body aching pleasantly.

After a moment Steve ran his hand up and down his side again, kissing his neck one more time. “You good?” he asked, his lips moving against Mac’s skin.

“Yeah, I think so,” Mac replied, sighing when Steve squeezed his hip. “That was... amazing.”

“It was pretty amazing for me too,” Steve said wryly, his fingers trailing up to grasp Mac’s arm. He sucked in a breath. “Shit, I think you’re bruising a little. I’ve got some ice packs in the truck, if you want? I didn’t think you wanted marks anywhere so I tried to be careful.”

Mac frowned and lifted his head, looking down on his arm... and sure enough, there were bruises around his wrists from the rope, and Mac had a feeling there was one on his hip where Steve gripped him so tightly. “And I really appreciate it,” he said, giving Steve a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about those, I think they will fade quickly... though the ice should help.”

Steve leaned in and kissed his cheek before he got up, walking in all his naked glory over to the truck. He rummaged around and came up with the ice packs he mentioned, along with another blanket. He rolled Mac off the dirty one on to the clean one, using the former to wipe them both off. He stuffed the dirty one in a laundry bag and popped a couple of ice packs for Mac, placing one on his arm and giving him another to hold on his hip. Mac laid down on his back, shivering a little from the ice packs as he stretched until something popped in his back. Steve laid down next to him and they look at the sky in silence for a moment, but thankfully it wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable.

“We should probably get going soon,” Steve eventually said, yawning a little. “If we’re gone too long Danny will definitely get suspicious.”

“You gonna fall asleep at the wheel?” Mac quipped, laughing when Steve poked him in the ribs. This was... nice, to be able to just talk to someone after sex and not have things be awkward like they always were with Nikki.

“I think I can keep it together, especially if there’s fried chicken involved,” Steve retorted, grabbing their underwear so they could at least be wearing something. “Are _you_ gonna face plant into your dinner?”

“I’ll do my best not to,” Mac replied, tugging on his boxer briefs. “But I admit, you did wear me out.” He rolled his eyes when Steve grinned. “You don’t have to be so smug about it. I’m not the one who was yawning just now.”

Steve huffed out a laugh, also stretching a little. “You’re funny, I like it,” he said, reaching for his t-shirt and putting it on as well. “I had a feeling we’d get along.”

Mac laughed. “I think we do more than get along.” He sat up, allowing the ice packs to fall away as he tugged on his shirt. Thankfully it was in one piece and he was able to make it look normal. He put on his pants and boots too, then looked down at himself. “I look normal, right? Everything’s covered up?”

Steve looked him up and down, and gave him a thumbs-up. “You’re all good, man.” He also put on his jeans and boots, and they gathered everything, hiding the laundry bag in the back of the truck. They got inside the car and Mac stifled a hiss when he tried to make himself comfortable in the passenger seat, his ass aching. Steve made a concerned noise and reached for the glove box, pulling out a bottle of Advil. “Here, take a couple of these.”

“Thanks,” Mac murmured, popping a couple tablets with a bottle of water.

~***~

The drive back to Steve’s house didn’t take very long, and soon they were offloading the parts from the back of Steve’s truck into the garage. “Hey guys,” Jack drawled from the doorway, and Mac barely managed not to startle. “How’d the hunt go?”

“Pretty well actually,” Mac said, smiling at him, even though he felt like there was a huge red sign above his head saying he slept with Steve. “I think we found everything we need, check this out.”

Thankfully it wasn’t hard for him to get excited about parts, and it must not look suspicious because Jack smiled back and walked up closer to take a look at what they brought. He smelled like cooking oil and sweat, and Mac had never been more in love than he was in this moment. They talked about the car and the junkyard for a bit, and even when Steve joined them it was surprisingly normal. The three of them headed in the house and Mac’s mouth watered when he smelled the food.

“I think I’m gonna take a shower before we eat,” Mac declared, and luckily he was greasy enough from the parts to justify it. “Where’s Desi and Riley?”

“Still out on the beach, I think,” Danny said, drying his hands on a kitchen towel. “Dinner should be ready in ten minutes or so.”

“Okay, then I better hurry,” Mac said, rolling his eyes when his stomach growled and everyone chuckled He also noticed that Jack was watching him with a thoughtful look in his face, so he tilted his head and asked, “What?”

“Nothing, you just... seem better than before,” Jack replied after a moment. “Less lost in your head.”

Mac smiled a little. “Thanks? I feel better too, if that means anything.” He ignored the deeply satisfying ache inside his body, focusing on Jack. “I’m, uh, gonna go upstairs now.”

“Okay,” Jack murmured, and Mac couldn’t identify the tone of his voice. “See you in a minute.”

Mac smiled at him again and while Jack smiled back, it seemed... maybe not troubled, but not as easy as Jack smiles usually were. As he headed upstairs, Mac swallowed hard, wondering if it was possible that Jack suspected anything about him and Steve, and if he did... could it be possible that maybe he was jealous? Entering the bedroom, Mac shook his head, trying to convince himself not to get his hopes up, and he went to take a shower, hoping he could act normal enough during dinner.

~***~

A few hours after the gang devoured Jack’s famous fried chicken, he found himself lingering by the door to the lanai in his swimsuit. He offered to go skinny dipping with Mac earlier, but now that so much new information was tumbling through his brain he was conflicted. Sighing, he pushed open the door and walked across the sand in the dark. Mac wasn’t out there yet and he might not even show—it wasn’t like they formally made plans—but maybe a swim would clear Jack’s head.

He still hadn’t wrapped his mind around the fact that not only Mac was into guys, he also apparently had feelings for Jack. It seemed so surreal that usually Jack wouldn’t believe it, but he knows Bozer would never lie to him about something like that and he _was_ the only person—except for Jack—that Mac ever confided in. And Jack understood why Mac never said anything. He knew he gave off straight vibes, he’d been perfecting them for most of his life. His family never cared about his sexuality, but the military did, and keeping it a secret was the only way for him to have a career.

Wading into the waves, Jack slipped off his swim trunks and tossed them on the beach, letting out another sigh before floating on his back. It was late so it was dark outside, but it was also a full moon and since there were no clouds Jack could see pretty much everything. He closed his eyes, though, hoping the soothing sound of water would calm him down... but it didn’t happen and his mind kept drifting back to Mac. If Bozer was right and Mac did indeed have feelings for him... should Jack say something? Should he ask him about it, or should he offer to buy him a drink? He had no idea what to do and he knew he needs to figure it out quickly, otherwise Mac would notice something was off about him.

At that moment Jack heard the lanai door open and he stood up, not wanting his junk to be floating everywhere. His mouth went dry when he saw Mac in his swim trunks, looking a little uncertain. “Hey,” Mac said, glancing down briefly at Jack’s discarded swim suit. “I wasn’t sure you’d actually be out here.”

“And I wasn’t sure you’d show up,” Jack replied, smiling a little. “But I did offer to do this with you, so here I am.” He smiled when Mac chewed on his lower lip, even though that always drove him a little crazy. “No pressure, though. You don’t have to do this if you’re not comfortable.

“No, no, it’s... fine,” Mac said, tripping on the words a little. He reached for the waist of his trunks and Jack turned his gaze away, not wanting to be creepy. Then Mac got in the water and he was _right there_ , so close and yet so far away. “Sorry, it’s just... I’ve never said anything before, but I’m a little self-conscious.”

Jack frowned a little because he’d never picked up on it, but... it did make sense and it went nicely with Mac always downplaying himself. “Dude, you’ve got nothin’ to be self-conscious about,” he said, his throat tightening a little. “You’re—” words like “gorgeous”, “beautiful”, or “stunning” threatened to fall from his mouth, but he didn’t allow himself to say them, “—in great shape, no need to worry.”

Mac smiled, that dimpled expression that never failed to make Jack’s heart beat faster. “Thanks, Jack. That... means a lot coming from you, since you’re pretty... ripped.” It almost sounded like Mac wanted to say something else but didn’t, and that was... definitely weird.

Jack took a closer look at him, just because he has an excuse in the moment. He wasn’t expecting what he saw, however. At first his thought he was seeing things, or that maybe something cast a shadow on Mac... but that wasn’t the case. “What happened to you?” he asked, staring at the bruise around Mac’s right wrist. He couldn’t help the way his voice dropped to that low, dangerous thing—the thought of Mac getting hurt always brought out that side of him.

Mac blinked, confused, and then followed Jack’s gaze down to his wrist. “Oh, this?” he said, wiggling his arm. “Nothing, I just got caught on something at the junkyard.” And that would sound totally reasonable, except... except Jack saw _another_ bruise on Mac’s hip, one that wouldn’t be visible if he was wearing his trunks.

Swallowing hard, Jack forced himself to stay calm, but he had a feeling Mac was _lying_ to him and that... that never happened. “Oh yeah?” he asked, clenching his hands in fists underwater. “What about this one?” He nodded toward Mac’s hip, watching Mac slowly look down, suddenly way too still. “How do you explain this?”

Mac licked his lips. “I, uh...” He seemed to be searching for an answer that wouldn’t upset Jack, and that only made him angrier. “I can’t tell you.”

“What?” Jack asked incredulously, spreading his arms. “Why not?” A thought occurred to him, one that didn’t make any sense but he had to ask anyway. “Did Steve hurt you? Because I swear to god I’ll kill him.”

“What? Of course not!” Mac looked at him like he lost his mind, but right now Jack didn’t know what the hell was happening, so he didn’t care. “Why would you even think that?”

“I don’t know, man, you tell me,” Jack replied, his eyes glued to the bruises. “Something obviously happened and the fact that you’re bein’ cagey about it doesn’t make it any better.”

Mac’s expression turned dark, his brows drawing down as he crossed his arms over his chest defensively. There was a matching bruise on his other wrist. “I don’t have to tell you everything, you know,” he snapped, and that shouldn’t hurt as much as it did. “Or are you trying to control me? Like my dad?”

Jack felt like Mac slapped him and he actually took a tiny step back. “What?” he breathed out, and it felt like his heart was cracking in half. “I’m not trying to control you, I’m just worried! You show up with some mysterious bruises that weren’t there before, so I ask about them, how is that me trying to control you?”

“I don’t know, Jack, but since when are you so nosy?” Huffing, Mac turned and retreated from the water, displaying his bare ass for a second before he grabbed his trunks and pulled them on. “What I did with Steve isn’t any of your business, so just drop it.”

Jack froze. “What you _did_ with Steve? What does that mean?”

Mac turned to look at him, and while he looked gorgeous in the moonlight, his wet skin glistening, Jack was too close to passing out to truly appreciate it. “Like I said, it’s none of your business,” Mac said quietly, and that heart Jack felt crack a while ago? Now he felt like it was being ripped out of his chest. “But I’m sure you can figure it out... especially since you used to do the same thing with him.” With that he turned around and walked away, heading back to the house.

Jack’s mouth dropped open, shock temporarily blasting away the agony he felt. Confirming his far-fetched theory about Mac and Steve was one thing, but add in the fact that Steve told Mac about him and Jack? That was truly surprising, because as far as Jack knew Steve’s always played things close to the vest too. He stared after Mac until he couldn’t see him anymore, then walked on shaky legs to the shore and pulled on his swim suit before collapsing in the sand. He looked at the sky once more and wondered how the fuck his life managed to get turned upside down in one day.

~***~

Swallowing down a sob, Mac walked toward the house, determined not to turn around to look at Jack, no matter how much he wanted to. He felt like someone shot him right through the chest, the pain almost too overwhelming, but he pushed through, stepping on the lanai and into the house. He wasn’t sure where to go, but then he remembered Steve saying he was going to work more on the car in the garage, so he headed there to... he didn’t really know. His vision was blurring with tears, so he wasn’t really looking where he was going and he let out a surprised sound that turned into a tiny sob when he suddenly collided with someone.

“Whoa!” It was Danny, Mac realized belatedly as his hands landed on Mac’s bare shoulders. “What the hell, boy genius?” When Mac didn’t respond, only shivered a little and tried to swallow any pathetic noises, Danny frowned and pushed him a little. “Come on, into the bathroom. You’re in no shape to do whatever stupid thing you’re thinking about.”

Mac swallowed another sob because what he was going to do was definitely stupid, even if he wasn’t a hundred percent sure what that was. He let Danny lead into the small bathroom that was downstairs, going willingly when Danny made him sit on the closed toilet, a towel wrapping around his shoulders a second later.

“What’s up?” Danny asked, bending down to look Mac in the eye. “Before you even try to lie and say that you’re fine, you’re obviously not.”

Mac stared at him for several seconds... and then it all came tumbling out. “I slept with Steve,” he started, and his analytical brain didn’t miss how Danny’s eyes went huge and he staggered back a step, sitting down on the edge of the tub. “It wasn’t romantic, just... sex, a couple of times today. And that was when I found out Jack was bisexual, from Steve, because I guess they used to hook up, and I’ve been in love with Jack for years—” He cut off, blubbering a little. “We j-just had a fight, because he saw bruises on me from Steve but I didn’t want to tell him where I got them, and I—I don’t know what to _do_ , Danny—”

“Okay, easy there, or you’re gonna hyperventilate straight into a panic attack,” Danny interjected, raising both hands in a calming gesture. Once Mac stopped talking and took a deep breath, exhaling shakily, Danny rubbed his face tiredly. “Alright, so... Jack got mad at you because you... s-slept with Steve?”

“Not exactly,” Mac whispered, noticing that Danny stuttered but pushing it aside for now. “He got mad because I—I didn’t want to tell him where the bruises came from, and then I snapped at him—god, I fucked up.”

“Okay, this probably seems like the end of the world right now, but you can fix this,” Danny said, reaching out to pat Mac’s knee. “But you’re gonna have to suck it up and tell Jack how you really feel.” He ran his other hand through his hair. “That’s... actually what I was on my way to do with Steve when you nearly mowed me down.”

“You... you were?” Mac asked, blinking at him as shock temporarily took over the panic. “But how- oh god,” he groaned, burying his face in his hands. “I just outed him, didn’t I?”

Danny nodded. “You kinda did... but don’t worry about it, Jack did that earlier too, so I already know.”

Mac’s eyes widened even more and he swallowed hard. “You guys... talked? About... that stuff?” Danny explained what went down after Steve sent his text message, and by the time he was done talking Mac was barely holding in hysterical laughter. “Wait, so... everybody knows everything except for me?”

“And Steve, yeah,” Danny confirmed, shaking his head a little. “Who knew a group of grown men could be as fucked up as teenagers, huh?”

“Can’t believe Bozer outed me _again_ ,” Mac mumbled, but then everything he just heard fully hit him and he had to swallow down another sob. “So... so you’re saying that Jack... has feelings for me?” he whispered, his hands shaking as he gripped his hair, tugging a little. “I... just ruined everything, fuck—”

“No, no, you didn’t,” Danny interjected, grabbing Mac’s wrists and prying his hands from his hair. “All you have to do is talk to him, Mac. Like adults, as hard and uncomfortable as that might be.” He smiled wanly. “I’m not looking forward to it with Steve either, but... now that I know there’s the tiniest chance we could be something more I kinda have to go for it, you know?”

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Mac said quietly, smiling weakly when Danny inhaled sharply. “I mean... he didn’t say anything, but I saw how he looks at you when you’re not looking.” He exhaled shakily. “But Jack... even if he does have some feelings for me... I slept with his friend, I’m... I’m sure he wants nothing to do with me.”

“I’ve only known Jack for a day, but I think he’s a better person than that,” Danny said gently, still looking emotional at the thought of Steve returning his feelings. “And he doesn’t have a leg to stand on, because he and Steve used to do the horizontal tango too.” That made Mac laugh, which was no doubt the point. “It’s gonna be fine, Mac. Just rip off the band-aid.”

Mac took another deep breath and then nodded, chewing on his lower lip. “You’re... you’re right, I’ll be fine,” he whispered, sounding more confident than he actually felt. “I should... go find him.”

“Yeah, you go get him,” Danny said, smiling softly. “And I’m... I’m gonna go talk to Steve.”

“Good luck,” Mac offered smiling tentatively, relieved when Danny’s own smile widened. “And Danny? Thank you.”

“Anytime, kid,” Danny said, clapping him on the shoulder before they stood and exited the bathroom.

Mac watched him make his way out to the garage before heading back to the beach. He felt a twinge of panic when he didn’t spot Jack right away, wondering if he left... or if something else happened. “Jack? Where are you?”

“Over here,” Jack’s voice made him jump, mostly because it came from... lower than Mac expected, and that was when he realized Jack’s lying on his back on the sand, staring up at the sky. “Why, did you come here to accuse me of controlling you again?”

Mac squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, then came over and sat down next to Jack. The sand immediately stuck to him in all the wrong places but he didn’t care. “No, I came to apologize,” he said softly, and that got him a flicker of Jack’s gaze in his direction. “That was uncalled for, and I’m sorry.”

“It was,” Jack agreed, his voice flat. “I figured you went to see Steve.”

Mac swallowed hard, staring at the dark water, blinking away the fresh tears burning in his eyes. “I did,” he admitted, wanting to be honest from now on. “Not sure what for, but... well, I didn’t make it anyway. I bumped into Danny and we... talked.”

Jack went still beside him, and his hands dug into the sand underneath him. “Oh yeah? And what did Danny say?”

“That you’ve got feelings for me,” Mac said, the words heavy and surreal as they came out of his mouth. He twisted his fingers into a knot in his lap. “He told me about the whole conversation you guys had earlier... I already knew some of it, because Steve mentioned that you and he used to have a thing.” He took a deep breath. “And I wanted to tell you that I feel the same way, Jack. I have for a long time.”

He heard Jack’s breath hitch and then Jack slowly sat up. “Bozer mentioned something along those lines,” he said quietly, and there was something about his voice that Mac couldn’t figure out. “But it... sounded way too good to be true. Like one of the many dreams I’ve had.”

Mac huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, this... this doesn’t feel real,” he admitted, still looking at the water. “Like I’m gonna wake up any second now.” He sighed. “Look, Jack, I... I understand if you don’t wanna do this right now. I’m clearly still not in a good headspace, and you deserve so much better than my bullshit.”

“Nah, I wouldn’t say that,” Jack said, shaking his head. “I deserve much less than that.” He sighed, rubbing his stubble with his fingers. “If you... if you’d come to me and told me all of that yesterday, I... I would’ve been all over you. But right now I just... can’t stop thinking about you and Steve, and... that ain’t fair to you, I’m aware. You can sleep with whoever you want, I just... I don’t know. I can’t get it out of my head.”

Something twisted deep inside Mac and he felt like he was going to throw up dinner. He bit the inside of his cheek until it bled, and when he spoke his voice came out almost normal. “I understand,” he said, because he did... but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. He pushed himself to his feet, using the towel Danny gave him to wipe off the sand before handing it to Jack. He couldn’t meet his gaze but put something that felt almost like a smile on his face. “I think I’m gonna find somewhere else to sleep, okay? You can have the bed.”

Jack didn’t say anything right away and Mac wanted to cry, but he forced himself to walk away again. He heard Jack shift behind him, his breathing changing like he was about to say something... but he didn’t, so Mac kept walking, once again heading toward the house with tears in his eyes. He covered his mouth with his hand to muffle a choked sound he made, and he stepped inside, going to the couch and sitting down. It was supposed to serve as Bozer’s bed, but he, Desi, and Riley headed out to go check out the neighborhood and they hadn’t come back yet.

A door opened and closed somewhere, and a second later Danny and Steve came in, heading for the stairs. They were talking quietly, Danny’s arm linked playfully through Steve’s, but they both stopped short when they see Mac. “Hey, what the hell happened?” Steve asked, and it was only then that Mac felt the tears on his cheeks. “Mac? What’s wrong?”

Mac felt his lower lip tremble and he didn’t meet Steve’s gaze, looking at Danny instead, knowing he would understand what happened right away. He frowned a little, but then his lips part in shock and he let go of Steve’s arm, walking up to the couch. “Seriously? He didn’t—” He sat down and wrapped an arm around Mac’s shoulders. “How’s that possible?”

Mac just shook his head, knowing that if he tries to speak he’d just break down.

“I’m sorry, what’s happening?” Steve asked, looking every inch like a confused German Shepard. “And why do you get it?”

“Because I always get it, dumbass,” Danny said mildly, rubbing between Mac’s shoulder blades. “He went to tell Jack how he feels about him, and evidently it didn’t go well.”

“What?” Steve asked incredulously, his eyes widening. “You have feelings for Jack? But—”

“Shut it, Steven,” Danny told him in a fond but firm voice before he turned back to Mac. “That doesn’t make any sense,” he said softly. “It doesn’t track with what happened earlier today.”

“I know,” Mac whispered, and he told them in a halting tone what happened out on the beach. “I mean I didn’t expect him to jump up and down, but... he froze me out.”

“Okay, that’s not right,” Steve said, anger creeping into his voice. “What we did together earlier didn’t make Danny see me any differently.”

“There might be a few reasons for that,” Danny started, holding up a hand when Steve opened his mouth to protest. “One, it’s different from Jack’s perspective since you two have known each other for a while. Two...” He trailed off and winced a little. “I’m normal? So my reaction was different.” The look on Steve’s face was a mix of dumbfounded and offended, and if Mac wasn’t so heartbroken he would laugh. “You and Jack are too much alike,” Danny continued, giving Steve a pointed look. “You’re not always a very rational person, Steve, especially when it comes to feelings. You just love shutting down.”

Steve opened his mouth, shut it, then opened it again to say, “You have a point. But that doesn’t make it right.”

“No it does not,” Danny agreed, and Mac blinked at him and wondered if this is kind of what it was like to have a dad that actually gave a shit about you. “And I’m thinking maybe you should go knock some sense into him. Because if I do it I’m definitely going to hit him and that won’t end well for anyone.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Mac immediately protested, looking at Steve and sniffling. “I... I don’t want to force him into anything. If he’s not comfortable—”

“I’m not going to force him into anything,” Steve said, the corner of his mouth twitching up a little, and then he headed toward the door. “Just have a little chat.”

“Please don’t hit him?” Danny called out after him. “Because that was my idea!”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! No smut this chapter, but we do get some bro talk between Steve and Jack, some Plot, and a near-death experience! So just your average Thursday. ;) The boys don't talk through their problems YET, but they will eventually...

Jack stayed sitting exactly where he was after Mac left for another moment, and then he got up to pace. He knew he shouldn’t have let Mac walk away, that it was a mistake in large part because he looked like he was about to cry and Jack never wanted to see that, but he just... froze, too caught in a tangle of anger and jealousy to speak. And oh, on the subject of jealousy: there was Steve.

“What the hell is the matter with you?” Steve asked, immediately getting way too close. “Did you completely lose your mind?”

“Get out of my face,” Jack growled, pushing at Steve and turning around, not in the mood to deal with him.

The thing with Steve was that he was like an annoying boomerang and always back. “Can’t do that,” he said, grabbing Jack by the shoulder and yanking him back. “Especially since Mac is inside, crying his eyes out because of you.”

Jack died a little inside when he heard that, because it was exactly what he feared had happened. Still, his anger won out, and Steve was an easy target. “Yeah? Well, maybe none of this would’ve happened if you could’ve kept it in your pants!”

“Me?” Steve’s tone went incredulous and he was pissed too, Jack saw that now. “Last time I checked it takes two people to do what we did, and believe me, Mac enjoyed himself. But I wasn’t the person he wanted to be with.”

Mac enjoying himself because of Steve was the last thing Jack wants to think about and it kind of made him feel sick. “Then why the fuck did you sleep with him?” he asked, clenching his hands in fists. “What kind of sick game are you playing here?”

“Dalton, are you hearing yourself?” Steve opened his arms in an incredulous gesture. “Game, what game? I didn’t know he had feelings for you at the time! But I know how it feels to be in love with someone you think could never love you back, so I imagine our motives were similar.”

“Oh, well how does Danny feel about this?” Jack retorted, knowing he was being ugly and bitter but too far gone to care. “I’m sure he was just _wild_ about the idea of you and Mac doing it in your truck.”

“He wasn’t, but you know what? We talked about it, like _adults_ , and we’re fine!” Steve exclaimed. “You need to get your shit straightened out or you’re going to lose him.”

Another part of Jack died in that moment, but he forced himself to ignore it. “Well, you can’t lose something you never had,” he muttered, yanking his shoulder out of Steve’s grip and walking back toward the water.

“Why does this bother you so much?” Steve asked, not giving up because of course he didn’t. “You’ve been in love with him for years, right? You _both_ dated and slept with other people during that time, what’s so different about this?”

Jack whirled around and the words that burst out of him were the truth, raw and real: “Because I know I’m not good enough for him!” He sucked in a ragged breath while Steve stared at him, then continued in a rush, “Is that what you wanted to hear, McGarrett? Because we both know it’s the truth. I never thought in a million years that he was interested in men, let alone in me... and I don’t deserve him. I never have.”

Steve stared at him for a moment, his mouth open in shock, and then he shook his head. “ _That’s_ what this is about?” he asked, looking at Jack like he lost his last marble. “Now that you know he wants you, you throw a fit because of some stupid thing to drive him away because you think you don’t deserve him?” He huffs and shakes his head again. “You think I feel like I deserve Danny? Hell no. But that’s not up to us to decide that for them.”

Jack deflated a little, because Steve was right. Just like it wasn’t up to Jack who Mac slept with, it wasn’t up to Jack to decide how Mac felt about him. “Shit,” he said, rubbing a hand over his face. He met Steve’s gaze. “We’re both terrible people and they aren’t.”

“I know,” Steve said, nodding a little. “But there isn’t anything I’m going to do to change Danny’s mind... and if I’m being honest, this is the one time in my life I actually _want_ to be selfish.”

Jack swallowed hard because that was what he wanted too, more than anything. “I just fucked everything up, didn’t I?” he asked quietly, turning away to look at the water, his heart aching. “Just like I always do.” He sighed, rubbing his face tiredly. “Is it too late?”

“I don’t think so,” Steve replied after a beat of silence, his hand falling on Jack’s shoulder again. “You do need to talk, though. For real this time.”

“Yeah, okay,” Jack said, and they headed back to the house together. He saw Mac almost immediately, curled up on the couch next to Danny.

“He’s asleep,” Danny whispered, glaring daggers at Jack. “He cried himself that way after Steve left. Smooth move, buttmunch.”

Jack’s heart—or what was left of it—cracked all over again. “I... I fucked up, I know that.”

“Yeah, you don’t say,” Danny muttered, standing up and walking up to Jack, squinting at him. “Did Steve hit you? Because I asked him not to.”

“He didn’t,” Jack replied, shaking his head. “So thanks—”

“I asked him not to because I wanted to hit you myself,” Danny interjected, looking so much more intimidating than Jack thought he could be.

“Please don’t?” was Jack’s tentative response, holding up his hands in surrender. “I know I deserve it, but—”

“You’re damn right you do,” Danny said, but he sounds slightly less pissed than he did a second ago. “And the only reason I’m not going to slug you is because Mac will only feel worse when he finds out about it.” He pointed to Mac’s sleeping form. “Now carry him upstairs and go the fuck to sleep.”

Jack looked at Mac, looking so much younger curled up under a blanket that Danny must have put over him, and his chest tightened. “I’ll carry him upstairs, yeah,” he whispered. “But I doubt he’d want to wake up in the bed with me, so... I’ll crash outside or something.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Danny protested and at the same time Steve said, “I’ve got a hammock outside.”

They stared at each other, faces contorting in silent conversation, but before either of them could say anything Mac said muzzily, “Jack?”

“Yeah, hey,” Jack whispered, crouching down and hesitating before he reached out to touch Mac’s arm. “You wanna go up to bed? I can sleep down here, it’s fine.”

“Don’t have to,” Mac mumbled, eyes still closed, which means he wasn’t fully awake. “You can... sleep upstairs.”

Jack swallowed hard, squeezing his arm. “You sure?”

“M’yeah,” Mac breathed out. “Don’t go.”

With that he seemed to fall back asleep, and Jack... he was a weak man, especially when it came to Mac. Carefully, Jack slid his arms under Mac’s shoulders and knees, picking him up and letting the blanket slide off of him. He headed for the stairs, smiling a little when he heard Danny and Steve griping quietly at each other behind him. He nudged open the door to their room and put Mac down gently, pulling back the covers on the opposite side before he moved Mac again.

He made a face when he saw he was still wearing his damp swim trunks, but wasn’t sure what to do about it. Usually he would probably take them off and help him into a pair of sweatpants—they undressed and dressed each other enough times when one of them was sick or delirious—but after everything that happened he was pretty sure Mac wouldn’t want him to do that. He thought about waking him up, but he looked so peaceful... and he could probably use some rest.

As if on cue Mac shifted around, making a noise of discomfort, and Jack swore under his breath. He opened Mac’s suitcase, digging around until he located some sweatpants. He tugged Mac’s trunks off and kept his eyes fixed on his legs, not looking anywhere else until the sweatpants were on. Then Jack put the blankets over him and stepped back, intent on changing himself.

He realized there was sand sticking to skin, mostly on his back, so he decided to take a quick shower to wash it all off. He grabbed a pair of his own sweatpants and went to the bathroom, taking care of the sand problem before he dried off and put the pants off. When he went back to the bedroom he saw that Mac hadn’t stirred, still looking strangely peaceful considering how badly Jack fucked up.

Sighing, Jack climbed into the bed next to Mac, only pulling the blankets up to his waist since he was a little warm. He made a surprised sound when Mac rolled toward him, head landing on his shoulder and an arm flopping over Jack’s waist. He made a sleepy sound and cuddled closer, totally unaware of the effect he had on Jack. He swallowed hard, afraid to even breathe for a second, but Mac seemed completely out of it.

Jack felt like he didn’t have a right to have Mac so close to him after how he treated him, but if he pushed him away Mac could wake up... and Jack already made him feel like he didn’t want him once this evening. Licking his lips nervously, Jack slipped an arm around Mac, holding him with light pressure. His other hand rose without his consent to brush the hair back from Mac’s face, thumb rubbing over his forehead for a moment. Then he stared at the ceiling and wondered how the hell they were going to work this out.

He already knew he was going to apologize his ass off once Mac woke up, but he was aware that was just a start. There was no way for him to know how long it was going to take Mac to forgive him—not that Jack deserved that—but he hoped it did happen at some point because otherwise... otherwise Jack might as well throw himself off a bridge. That was dramatic, he was aware, but Mac brought that out in him, along with a whole host of other things. He turned his head a little and pressed his nose into Mac’s hair, letting his eyes slip shut. He breathed in Mac’s smell— sunshine and ozone, plus a little ocean—and actually started feeling drowsy.

It wasn’t long before sleep pulled him under, lulled by the sound of the waves and Mac’s warmth beside him.

~***~

When Riley woke up it happens slowly, like it should be during vacation, no alarm blaring on the nightstand, or Matty calling with a new mission. She made a soft sound as she stretched and then she opened her eyes, staring at the guest room ceiling for a moment. She turned her head a little and her gaze fell on Desi who seemed to be still asleep, lying on her side and facing away from Riley. She chewed on her lower lip and let herself just... look for a moment, eyes sweeping over the tattoos on Desi’s back and shoulders that weren’t covered by the tank top she wore.

She was beautiful, Riley thought, just like she did back when she first saw her at the airport. When Jack told her he had a female friend who flew planes Riley expected someone his age, not a few years older than her. And Riley had seen plenty of pretty women in her line of work, but the sight of them was never accompanied by the dizzying swoop of attraction she felt around Desi.

She wasn’t sure what to do about it, though.

She’d known she was bisexual for... a long while, but she’d never dated a woman, plus she had absolutely no idea if Desi was straight or not. They had a lot of fun yesterday, but she couldn’t tell if Desi was just being friendly or was maybe interested in more, and since Riley didn’t want to make an idiot out of herself, she figured she has to wait and feel her out... or she had to push through embarrassment and ask Jack if he knew anything about Desi being into women.

Beside her Desi stirred, muscles shifting under the colorful patterns on her skin. She rolled on her back, and then when she caught Riley looking she turned to face her, a smile at the corner of her mouth. “Morning,” she said softly. She took in a breath for more words but then frowned, brows furrowed. “Do you hear that?”

Riley sat up and listened, and yes she did: it was Steve, directly below them and agitated. She threw back the covers and tugged down the oversized t-shirt she wore. “We should go see what’s wrong.”

Desi nodded and got up, and Riley had to try very hard not to stare at the tattoos on her legs peeking out from under her shorts. Together they stepped out of the guest bedroom and headed downstairs where they found Steve talking on the phone with a troubled look on his face, and Danny sitting on one of the chairs and following Steve with his gaze as he paced.

“Okay, yeah, we’ll be over there soon,” Steve said, waiting for a response before he added, “Be careful.” He hung up, rubbing the stubble on his jaw.

“What’s going on?” Riley asked, Desi’s arm brushing hers as they stopped short of the two men.

“That was Chin,” Steve said grimly, putting his hands on his hips. “There’s been a bombing in downtown Honolulu. Two people are dead and there’s a dozen more injured so far.”

“You want some help?” Riley instantly offered without having to think about it. “I mean, I know we’re not a part of any agency or anything right now, but—”

“That’s not a problem,” Steve interjected, and Danny shook his head too. “I can bring whoever I want on the case.”

“Yes, yes, immunity and independence, yada, yada,” Danny said, looking at Riley. “We definitely won’t say no to you helping out.”

Desi grinned. “Sweet, we’ll go get dressed,” she said, sounding eager, and Riley wondered what she was doing before Jack called her up. They went back up the stairs and once they were back in the guest room Desi stripped off her pajamas with her back to Riley, leaving her in nothing but panties.

Riley swallowed hard and immediately turns around, opening her suitcase and looking for something to wear, mostly to distract himself from staring at Desi. Getting caught by her would be a disaster, so even though she located a pair of jeans and a t-shirt quickly, she waited until she was sure Desi was dressed to look away from the suitcase. She was in the middle of clipping a holster to the small of her back and that shouldn’t be as hot as it was.

“You good?” Desi asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Uh, yeah,” Riley replied, picking up her backpack with her rig inside it. “Let’s get the boys and head out.”

~***~

When Riley came to tell them Five-0 caught a case with a bombing involved, Mac was more than happy to offer to help only to find out Riley had already offered. Still, he was grateful for any distraction from the mess with Jack, especially since he woke up pressed against his side, nuzzling his bare chest. It was a moment of pure bliss, at least until Mac remembered what happened the night before. Things were a little fuzzy after Steve went out to talk to Jack, but Mac knew Jack came in and talked to him, then carried him upstairs. He didn’t know where they stand right now but at least Jack didn’t seem to be pissed anymore.

They didn’t get a chance to talk before leaving the house, only grabbing a quick breakfast and jumping into the cars. Jack wound up riding with Danny again, both Riley and Desi tagging along since they wanted to ride in the Camaro, so that’s why Mac was once again riding with Steve, this time with Bozer in the back. Mac was fervently thankful that Bozer didn’t know what happened in that backseat yesterday, because if he did Mac would never hear the end of it.

“Okay, so what’s the situation?” Mac asked, glancing over at Steve. “Beyond the casualties, I mean.”

“The bomb was planted in a shopping center,” Steve said, hands tight on the wheel. “They don’t know if it was on a timer or set off remotely, but it didn’t go off until there was a crowd of people around it.”

“That means someone most likely set it off remotely,” Mac said, forcing himself to stop thinking about Jack and focus on the bomb. “That’s the easiest way to guarantee a lot of casualties.” He sighed. “Good news about that is that _maybe_ it will be possible to track the bomber, it all depends what kind of detonator he used.”

“Good thing we’re here, huh?” Bozer mused from the back. “We could’ve gone to Italy or something.”

“You’re the best at what you do, so yeah I’m glad,” Steve said, pulling into a parking lot full of police cruisers and big black SUVs. It was near an open-air mall, and Mac caught a glimpse of Chin and Kono talking to a huge man in a Hawaiian shirt.

They got out of the car and in that moment Danny’s Camaro parked next to Steve’s truck, and this time Danny got out on the driver’s side. “I got to drive my own car!” he exclaimed triumphantly, and Mac caught Steve rolling his eyes fondly. “I know there was a bombing and all that, but that’s a win for me.”

“He was this happy the whole way over,” Jack commented, shaking his head a little bit. “It was scary.”

“Danny Williams? Happy?” The big man from earlier exclaimed as he came over, sounding incredulous. “That’s crazy talk.” He extended a hand toward Mac. “Lou Grover, nice to meet you. You’ve got to be the bomb expert Chin and Kono told me about.”

“MacGyver,” Mac introduced himself, shaking Lou’s hand. “I hope I’m able to help out somehow.” The rest of the group also introduced themselves, also to Chin and Kono who came over to give both Jack and Mac hugs. “I’d like to see the explosion site?” Mac said once the meetings were all done. “Maybe I’ll find some clues there.”

“Sure, of course,” Chin said, not surprised when Jack stepped up to Mac’s side, along with Danny and Steve. “Kono, maybe you could show Riley the security footage?”

“Yeah, come on,” Kono said, and Riley, Desi, and Bozer all headed off with her.

Chin led them toward the center of the shopping mall, the destruction from the bomb getting worse the closer they got to a big fountain. “Damn, that must’ve been one hell of a bomb,” Jack commented, and Mac silently agreed. He didn’t speak up, not wanting his carefully constructed walls to crumble since the bomb needed to be his priority right now. There were already people searching the spot, but they didn’t pay Mac any mind when he got closer and crouched down right next to the fountain.

“It was under the water,” Mac murmured, noting the pattern of the explosion and the debris field. “Interesting.”

“So it had to be contained in something, right?” Danny said, squinting in the sun. “Or it wouldn’t have ignited, right?”

“Right,” Mac echoed, picking up a shattered piece of plastic. “I’m wondering if the explosive is unstable and needs to be kept cool.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Jack commented.

Mac nodded absently. “It’s not,” he murmured, shifting closer and looking into the destroyed fountain. “If the explosive is unstable it makes it much more dangerous. If it’s not properly handled it could go off any time... assuming there’s another bombing planned.” He sighed. “Knowing most of the bombers, there is.”

“Well what was the point of this one?” Grover asked. “Besides killing those two people and hurting a bunch more?”

“That might have been the only point,” Mac replied grimly. “Unless the security footage shows something different, it seems like the goal was mass casualties and chaos. This was probably a dry run for something bigger.”

“A test?” Danny asked. “That’s just great, I’m liking the psycho more and more.”

“We needs to figure out what their target could be,” Steve said, rubbing his face tiredly. “It could be anything on Oahu, or maybe even another island.”

“I think they’re going to stick to Honolulu,” Mac mused, getting up and dusting off his knees. “They wouldn’t risk transporting the explosive too much.”

“Especially if it’s unstable,” Chin agreed. “Any idea what kind of explosive we’re dealing with? It had to get on the island somehow.”

Mac breathed in to respond and made a face. “You guys smell that? It’s ammonia.” He glanced around, notes the blackening on the concrete and stone that he thought was ash... but it wasn’t. “I think we’re dealing with silver nitride. It’s a solid made when silver oxide or nitrate gets dissolved in ammonia. It’s also a primary explosive, so it’s extremely sensitive... but in water the blast would’ve been less severe. I think our bomber wanted to test the range of the silver nitride and put it in water so the entire building wouldn’t collapse and overshadow his bomb.”

“So you’re saying this thing would be capable of destroying this entire building?” Danny asked, gesturing around. “If it wasn’t in the water?” When Mac nodded he sighed, exchanging a look with Steve. “That’s bad.”

“It really is,” Mac agreed. “And we need to find a way to narrow down the list of possible targets, otherwise many people could die.”

“Then we need to—” Jack started, cutting off abruptly as his gaze caught on something across the street. “Shit, _sniper_!”

He dove in front of Mac and tackled him to the ground as everyone scattered, the sound of the gunshot hitting their ears a second later. Mac’s breath got knocked out of him when he hit the ground, Jack’s heavy body pinning him down, but only for a second. As soon as he landed on top of him, he got up to his feet, grabbing Mac by the shoulders and all but dragging him away until they took cover behind a huge pillar.

“Mac, are you okay?” Jack asked, frantically checking Mac for injuries, his hands trembling. “Did you get hit—?”

Mac grabbed Jack by the front of his shirt and yanked him in for a kiss, something he’d thought about many times when they’d almost died but never done. It was closed-mouth and hard and over far too soon, and when they broke apart Mac gasped out, “ _I_ thought _you_ got hit! Are _you_ okay?” Jack stared at him in shock, his eyes wide, so Mac huffed in frustration and started checking him out. He noticed how muscular and ripped Jack’s chest was under his hands because of course he did, but he was more worried about him potentially bleeding out to fully appreciate it. “I don’t see any blood,” he muttered, glancing up and meeting Jack’s gaze. “I think you’re good.”

Jack put both hands on Mac’s face, callouses catching on his skin. “We really need to find time to talk,” he said, thumb rubbing over Mac’s cheekbone. “But I am so sorry about what I said last night, Mac.”

Before Mac could respond, Steve called for them: “Mac! Jack! You guys okay?”

Mac swallowed hard, looking into Jack’s eyes for a moment longer before he yelled back, “Yeah, we’re good! You?”

“Fine! Kono’s checking out the building across the street, but my bet is the sniper is long gone,” Steve shouted. “Better to stay hidden for a while longer though.”

Mac exhaled shakily and looked at Jack again. “How the hell did you notice the sniper?”

“Saw the reflection from the scope,” Jack replied, pushing Mac’s hair back from his face. “Didn’t know who they were aiming for, but it didn’t really matter. Just knew I had to get you on the ground.”

“My guess is our sniper is also our bomber,” Mac said, letting his eyes flutter shut under Jack’s touch. “They waited to see what the response would be... and then targeted whoever they perceived as the bomb expert. Which is me.”

Jack made a low sound in the back of his throat, his hands sliding to Mac’s back, gripping him tightly. “Well, they just made the worst mistake of their life,” he said quietly. “Because when I get my hands on them I’m gonna kill them.” Mac opened his mouth to protest, but Jack was faster. “No one tries to shoot you and then lives to tell the story.”

Mac smiled a little. “That’s... pretty romantic, Jack.” He swallowed hard, bringing up tentative fingers to stroke over Jack’s stubble. “Your apology is accepted, by the way, but you’re more than entitled to feel weird about me... sleeping with Steve. And I didn’t exactly tell you in the greatest way.”

“I kinda... thought about it when Bozer babbled about you bein’ into guys,” Jack said quietly. “But I pushed it away because otherwise jealousy would’ve eaten me from the inside... and then when you told me I... I don’t know.” He frowned a little. “Wait, what do you mean my apology is accepted? That’s it? Mac, no, I... fucked up, big time. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, not so soon.”

Mac’s brows furrowed. “Jack, I’m not gonna hold a grudge against you,” he said, touching the lines near the corner of Jack’s eye. “You fucked up and I forgive you.” He didn’t let Jack interrupt him, offering him a smile instead. “But when this is over, you could make it up to me with dinner? Maybe on the beach?”

“I’d like that,” Jack said softly, leaning into his touch. “And maybe we can try skinny dipping again.” That made Mac chuckle which was probably Jack’s plan. “I mean it, though, Mac. I’m... sorry about how I acted. You’re... free to sleep with whoever you want.” He smiled sadly. “Like I told Steve, I don’t deserve you, so... I think that a part of me got scared of you actually having feelings for me and... it didn’t end well.”

“Jack, what are you talking about?” Mac’s heart clenched when he heard Jack speak about himself that way, and he ducked his head so he could meet Jack’s gaze, which had dropped to the ground. “You deserve me, you deserve everything. Yeah, you’ve done some bad shit, but who hasn’t? That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be happy.”

When Jack finally looked at him there were so many emotions in his eyes that it took Mac’s breath away. “You actually mean that, don’t you?” he asked quietly, one of his hands sliding up to cup Mac’s cheek. “I feel like you’d be better off without me, but... I really want to be selfish this time.”

“I don’t want you anywhere besides right next to me,” Mac whispered, slipping his arms around Jack’s neck. “And is it selfish if I really, really want you to kiss me?”

In response Jack leaned in, pressing their lips together. This time Mac felt everything, including the sparks missing from his kisses with Steve, and he sank into it wholeheartedly. Jack made a wounded sound and pressed himself closer, one hand sliding into Mac’s hair while his other arm wrapped around his waist. The kiss started off slow, their lips just parting and meeting again, but then Mac tentatively slipped his tongue into Jack’s mouth, feeling like there were fireworks going off around them.

Eventually breathing became a necessity, and Mac broke away first, gasping a little from the intensity of that kiss. “Wow,” he said softly, noticing he was practically in Jack’s lap but not caring in the slightest. “We should’ve been doing that back in the Sandbox.”

“You have no idea how much I wanted to just... drag you away and slam you against a wall somewhere,” Jack murmured, his hand moving so that he could rub his thumb over Mac’s lower lip. “But maybe it’s for the better we weren’t doing that then... I would’ve been too distracted to keep you safe.”

“Is that so?” Mac asked in a whisper, giving Jack another kiss, short this time. “Are you too distracted now?”

“Mhmm, very.” Jack kissed him again, nipping at his top lip before he slid his tongue into Mac’s mouth. It was a dirtier kiss than the last few and Mac suddenly wished they were anywhere but here and that there was no bomber. “Fuck, I wanna do so much more than kiss you.”

“Same,” Mac said hoarsely, breath hitching when Jack’s hand slid down to grope his ass. “Nobody’s come to get us yet... do you think they forgot?”

“Doubtful,” Jack mumbled, mouthing over his jaw before kissing the side of his neck. “Maybe they decided to give us a minute.”

Mac gasped quietly, gripping Jack’s shoulders with his hands and shivering when Jack’s teeth scraped over his pulse point. “I-I wish we weren’t in such a public place,” he whispered shakily, loving how Jack’s stubble scratched his skin. “We could do... more than just kiss then.” Jack groaned against his ear, and when Mac shifted a little he felt something big and half-hard press against his ass that definitely wasn’t Jack’s gun. “Oh god,” Mac whimpered, and he glanced around frantically. “They’re still looking for the shooter, or the bomber, or whoever the fuck they are.” His eyes found a door marked “maintenance” and his hips twitched involuntarily. “I think that’s a closet. We... we could hide, since the shooter aimed at me.”

“That’s an excellent idea,” Jack said in a low voice, teeth tugging at Mac’s earlobe. “Come on.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter: Mac and Jack finally get busy, followed by more plot and yet another cliffhanger - although this one isn't as mean as the others. ;) Enjoy!

They scrambled up to their feet and one glance toward Steve confirmed that everyone was still busy either hiding or looking for the shooter. Mac grabbed Jack’s hand and tugged him toward the closet, not caring that they were acting like two horny teenagers. As soon as they were inside with the door shut Mac felt better—not only because his boner was hidden from the rest of the world, but because if he was the shooter’s target he couldn’t be seen anymore and shouldn’t draw fire. That was the last rational thought he had because Jack shoved a stool underneath the doorknob before he crowded Mac against the wall, just like he said he wanted to in Afghanistan.

Mac’s breath hitched when he looked into Jack’s eyes that were almost black with lust. They stared at each other for a few seconds and then Jack crashed their lips in a hungry, passionate kiss that turned dirty right away, his tongue devouring Mac’s mouth. Jack forced Mac’s legs apart with his knee, growling against his lips when Mac ground down against his thigh. It was just as intense as Mac imagined and he trembled with it, wrapping his arms around Jack to pull him even closer.

“Fuck,” Mac moaned out when Jack broke the kiss to nip and suck at his jaw. He dug his fingers into Jack’s back and made an embarrassing sound when Jack bit down on his birthmark, hands shifting to open Mac’s shirt.

Thankfully he didn’t rip it open, but instead quickly unbuttoned it, sliding the shirt off Mac’s shoulders. “I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” he mumbled against Mac’s skin, slowly running his rough hands up Mac’s abs and his chest, making him shiver with want.

“Me too,” Mac rasped out, hardly recognizing his own voice. He reached for Jack’s shirt and practically tore it over his head but got distracted when Jack rubbed his thumbs over Mac’s nipples.

He also ground into Mac’s thigh, desire clear in every line on his face. “So what are we doin’, baby?” he asked, fingers toying with the button on Mac’s jeans. “I’m up for anything.”

Mac moaned when he felt Jack’s _huge_ cock against his thigh, and at the same time he got warm all over at the use of the endearment. “Everything, anything,” he gasped, his head hitting the wall with a light thud when Jack nipped at his throat, opening his jeans at the same time. “As—as much as we can do here.”

“Can’t fuck you,” Jack muttered, his hand cupping Mac’s erection through his underwear, rubbing lightly. “Don’t have the supplies... you want me to suck you off?”

Mac’s brain short circuited between Jack touching him and the words coming out of his mouth. “Yes, yeah, please,” he practically begged, keening when Jack’s index finger found skin through the slit in his boxer-briefs. “God, I want you so bad.”

“I want you too, baby, so damn much,” Jack murmured into his neck, panting against his skin. “Can’t wait to make you feel so good.”

He teased Mac for a moment longer, making him whimper pitifully, and then he tugged his jeans down along with his boxer-briefs. He nipped at his throat one more time before dropping down to his knees, looking up at Mac and smirking, and that almost made Mac come right away. Mac swallowed hard and settled his hands on Jack’s shoulders, not wanting to pressure him but he needed something to hold. He exhaled slowly when Jack pulled him free of his underwear, stroking over Mac’s length a couple of times before his tongue flicked out to lick the head. That alone made Mac shut his eyes and whimper, gasping when Jack took him in his mouth.

“Oh god,” Mac choked out, shuddering when Jack’s hands slowly slid up his thighs to grip his hips.

He squeezed them lightly to get Mac’s attention and when Mac glanced down Jack _winked_ before taking him in deeper, and Mac moaned brokenly, realizing this was probably going to kill him. He was trying not to make _too_ much noise because they were technically still in public, but it was hard when Jack worked his talented tongue against the underside of his cock like that. He shivered and moaned again when the head hit the back of Jack’s throat and he swallowed, velvet heat closing around him and making him see stars.

It seemed like Jack knew _exactly_ what he was doing to him, swallowing around him again and watching him with dark eyes. His hands rubbed slow circles over Mac’s hipbones, teasing him and stopping him from moving at the same time. Mac was already panting heavily, one hand gripping Jack’s shoulder while the other rested on the back of his neck, and he moaned loudly when Jack started bobbing his head. The sound echoed in the closet and Mac slapped a hand over his mouth, squeezing the back of Jack’s neck at the same time. He’d never gotten so close so quickly, and his knees started to shake.

“Jack, I—I’m gonna—“ Mac whispered from between his fingers, cutting off with a groan when Jack started moving faster.

It didn’t seem like Jack was planning to pull back and that turned Mac on even more if that was possible. He groaned when Jack did something magical with his tongue, that warm feeling low in his stomach getting more intense, and before he even knew what was happening Mac fell over the edge, muffling a loud moan with his hand. If it wasn’t for Jack’s hands on his hips pressing him to the wall Mac would’ve fallen on his ass, the waves of pleasure were so strong. He whined as Jack swallowed everything he had to give, cleaning him off with his tongue before he drew away. Once Mac thought he could move again without passing out he pulled up his pants, waiting for Jack to stand before he knelt on the floor to return the favor.

“Oh, sweet Jesus,” Jack groaned, touching Mac’s cheek with his hand before pushing his hair out of his eyes. “I’ve had dreams about you like this.”

Mac grinned, slowly opening Jack’s jeans and tugging them down, leaning in to nuzzle at the bulge through his underwear. “Me too,” he murmured, and he could already tell his earlier suspicions would be confirmed, Jack was _big_. “Have I ever mentioned I love giving head? I also heard I’m amazing at it.”

Jack went still, his thumb rubbing over Mac’s cheekbone. “Who’d you hear that from?” he asked in a husky voice, and when Mac glanced up he sees a flash of jealousy in Jack’s face. “Was it Steve?”

“No, actually,” Mac said, reaching in to pull Jack’s cock free of his underwear and giving the head a little kitten lick. “I didn’t suck him off.” He debated it for a moment, then decided to tell the truth. “I let him fuck me, though.”

Jack’s hand slid into Mac’s hair in the meantime and his grip tightened just for a second before Jack clearly forced himself to let go. “You did, huh?” he muttered, and there was something... dark and possessive in his voice that made Mac’s spent cock twitch. “And how was it?”

“Really good,” Mac told him, because once again that was the truth. He locked eyes with Jack and licked his cock again. “I’ve never come that hard in my life.”

“Fuck,” Jack gritted out, and Mac could see the emotions warring on his face. “I don’t want that to be as hot as it is.”

Mac laughed, turning his head to kiss Jack’s hip. “Relax, big guy. I like Steve... but I wanted it to be you.”

Jack groaned and tugged on his hair again, looking completely wrecked. “I can’t wait to get you on a bed,” he said, gasping when Mac wrapped his lips around the head of his cock. “Once I’m done with you you’re gonna forget all about that navy water baby.”

Mac snorted inelegantly but Jack didn’t seem to care, so he sank lower on his length and sucked a little. That alone earned him a moan and another pull of his hair, and Mac realized Jack was just as on edge as he was. With that in mind it was simple to relax his throat and take Jack in completely, hoping to make him come in a hurry. Jack swore above him, both hands twisting in Mac’s hair, so Mac swallowed around him, causing him to groan loudly. He repeated it a few more times and then he started bobbing his head, hands sliding to the back of Jack’s thighs to have something to hold on to.

Jack makes a broken sound, fingers tugging at Mac’s hair occasionally. “Baby, I’m so close,” he says, the urgency clear in his voice.

He shuddered when Mac didn’t pull away, choosing to double his efforts, and soon Jack was groaning out his name and coming hard. Mac swallowed everything, loving how Jack tasted, and he continued working him with his tongue until Jack whined and squirmed away. He let go of his cock with an obscene sound and pulled up his underwear and jeans, tucking his cock inside before standing up. Jack grabbed him and yanked him in for a kiss, groaning when he tasted himself on Mac’s tongue. It was passionate but not nearly as urgent as before, and Mac reveled in their skin pressing together and the softness of Jack’s lips. He wrapped his arms around Jack’s neck, pulling him as close as possible, and he sighed when Jack’s hands slowly run up and down his back.

They made out for a while and eventually Jack broke the kiss, but he didn’t go far, pressing their foreheads together. “You’re fucking incredible,” he whispered, his breath hot on Mac’s lips. “And I love you so damn much.”

Mac flushed hot when he heard those words, the ones he’d dreamt about for years. “I love you too,” he said softly, studying the flecks of gold in Jack’s brown eyes. “And I really wish we didn’t have to go out there and chase a bomber... but we do.”

“I know that,” Jack murmured, kissing the corner of Mac’s mouth before nuzzling his cheek. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Mac smiled a little and after giving Jack another short kiss he pulled back, leaning down to pick up their shirts from the floor. They both got dressed and then Mac kissed Jack’s cheek, unable to stay away. “You know what’s interesting?” he asked, smiling when Jack hooked his fingers in his belt loops. “Our bomber... is also a sniper, which is unusual. But it also gives us more advantage, you know? I know bombs, _you_ are a sniper, and together we can figure this guy out.”

Jack tilted his head to the side. “That’s... an excellent point. Training like ours ain’t easy to come across in separate people, let alone in one dude. We should definitely be looking for someone who’s ex-military.”

Mac nodded and gave Jack one last kiss before he forced himself to back off, opening the closet door an inch to peer outside. “Looks like everyone cleared out and they’re in the parking lot,” he said, and they both slipped out into the mall. “Maybe they found a shell casing or something that will point us to a gun.”

“Mhmm, it could also tell us something about their training,” Jack said, their hands brushing together. “They might be used to a certain rifle because they were trained on one... and if I know what rifle that was, I’ll tell you who most likely trained them.”

Mac swallowed hard because he loved when Jack started talking like this, using his experience, and this was _not_ the right time to get turned on again.

~***~

They met up with the others and Riley hugged Jack, Bozer doing the same to Mac. “Glad you guys are okay,” Desi said, smiling a little as she held out an evidence bag. “And I’ve got a present for you, Dalton.”

A shell casing gleamed inside the bag, and Jack studied it through the plastic. “.308 round, no custom rifling,” he observed. “Probably an M40 or an M24, which makes me think our gunner slash bomber is probably former Army.”

Mac forced himself to focus and told his cock to stand the fuck down which was difficult when Jack was being so damn badass and competent. It’d always been hot, but now that Mac was allowed to actually _be_ with him it was much harder to ignore. “Okay, so that narrows it down a little,” he said, focusing on the mission. “We need to figure out if that person is local or if they came here recently.”

“Good thinking,” Steve said, and was it Mac’s imagination or did Jack shoot a look in his direction? “Chin, Kono, I want you guys to run down a list of who has permits for rifles of that caliber on the island and cross reference with military service. Lou, you go with them to Five-0 and run comms. Danny and I are going to go with Mac and Jack, see if we can run down a place on the island where someone could get silver nitride.”

“I might be able to help with that,” Riley interjected, waving them over to her laptop. “I didn’t see anything suspicious on the footage from the security cameras—I’ll have to run facial recognition on everyone, which will take a while—so started looking for large sales of either ammonia or silver nitrate, and I found something interesting. Ammonia is really common, but silver nitrate is rarer—it’s usually used to cauterize wounds, and an urgent care clinic reported a break-in where _all_ their silver nitrate got stolen a week ago.”

“That _is_ interesting, good job, Riles,” Jack said, and Mac didn’t miss how proud he sounded. “That clinic you mentioned, they probably have cameras, right? Maybe whoever robbed the place showed their face around, then you could cross check that footage with the one from the mall.”

“I’ll need to go there to do that,” Riley said, glancing at Desi. “You and me?”

“Yeah, and take Chin,” Steve said, reorganizing things. “Kono can handle the gun search with Bozer. I’ve got another idea about how to find our suspect.” He glanced at Jack and Mac. “I think maybe we should go ask around at the veterans’ center.”

“They ain’t gonna be happy we’re goin’ around potentially accusing one of them of doing this,” Jack pointed out before Mac could. “You know how... protective some vets can get.”

“We don’t have a choice,” Steve said, wincing a little. “Hopefully if anyone there knows our bomber they will realize that catching him is in their best interest.”

“Hopefully,” Danny echoed, but he sounded as skeptical as Mac felt. They all headed for the Camaro and he handed over the keys to Steve—who gave the keys to his truck to Grover— without being asked. “And hopefully we don’t die on the way.”

“That’d be nice, yeah,” Mac agreed, like they were talking about the weather, and he and Jack got into the backseat. “Wow, it’s... small back here, isn’t it.”

“Yeah, that car is not really meant for so many people,” Danny said, getting in the passenger seat and turning to grin at them.

“You don’t have to be so smug about it,” Jack grumbled, shifting a little as he tried to make himself more comfortable. Since Mac’s legs were longer he was having even a bigger problem to fit in there, but somehow they manage, and Jack added in a tortured voice, “I hate when McGarrett is drivin’.”

“Fuck off, Dalton,” Steve said mildly, and Mac barely stifled a laugh. “Have I ever gotten into an accident that was my fault?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Danny said before Jack could speak. “But just because it isn’t your fault doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt like hell when the airbag breaks your nose.”

“That happened _once_!” Steve exclaimed, looking at him incredulously without even slowing down the car. “Just _once_ , all the other times your face was just fine!”

“You’re lucky it was, it’s my best feature,” Danny replied, and Mac had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing. “But a broken nose is something even I can’t pull off.”

“I don’t think that’s true, Danny,” Jack commented, and now Mac was having a really hard time keeping quiet because he knew exactly where Jack’s going with this. “You’re handsome enough to balance it out.”

Steve glared into the rear view mirror and tightened his hands on the wheel. “Well you’re not, Jack,” he said through his teeth, and it seemed like Jack wasn’t the only one who got jealous easily. “So you should be careful.”

“Oh no, I think I’m good,” Jack replied, an easy smile on his face. “No airbags in the back of this beauty, so me and my nose are safe.”

Everyone knows that wasn’t what Steve meant, but apparently Jack was having too much fun right now to stop. “Keep your eyes on the road, McGarrett.”

“Keep complimenting me like that, and maybe there’s some hope for you,” Danny said, grinning at Jack.

“Oh no there isn’t,” Steve muttered, taking the next turn a little too sharply. “He’s hopeless.”

“I don’t know about _hopeless_ ,” Mac mused, glancing at Jack and winking at him to show he was in on the joke. “But he does like to flirt. It’s one of _many_ things he’s good at.”

“I can see that,” Danny replied, and Mac was pretty sure Steve was about explode which was _hilarious_. “Makes me wonder what else he’s so good at.”

“That list is pretty long,” Jack said, grinning widely, and he was so handsome that Mac could stare at him for hours. “Or so I’ve been told.”

“He’s not that great!” Steve said a little too loudly. “Can he hold his breath underwater for three minutes? I don’t think so.”

“I’ve never had to be underwater for that long,” Jack admitted, but he sounded far too sure of himself. His hand landed on Mac’s thigh almost absently, thumb rubbing over the inseam of his jeans. “But then again, I’m pretty sure you’ve never made a two-thousand meter sniper shot in a war zone.”

Mac swallowed hard, trying not to get affected by Jack’s heavy hand on his thigh, his fingers teasing him, but he failed. “Oh yeah?” Steve asked, the steering wheel creaking ominously under his hands. “I’m pretty sure _you_ —”

“Oh my god!” Danny groaned, burying his face in his hands for a few second. “You’re both just as badass, okay? It’s not a fucking competition!”

“He started it!” Steve protested, turning down another street and parking in front of a fire hydrant, across from the veterans’ center. “I can’t help it I’m naturally competitive.”

“So am I, but you don’t see me bragging,” Mac remarked, grinning when Steve turned to glare at him before they got out of the car. “I could, if you want me to.”

“That’s not necessary,” Steve grumbled, glaring at Danny when he snickered.

“Aw, but he has so much to brag about!” Jack exclaimed, grinning at Mac, his gorgeous eyes glinting with amusement. “He’s awesome.”

“I don’t know about that.” Mac shrugged. “But I definitely can brag about pinning Jack down when we first met in the Sandbox and we fought.”

They walked toward the center as a group and Steve looked at Mac with huge eyes. “You pinned Dalton? How long did it take?”

“Not long once he stopped punching me in the face,” Mac replied, smiling fondly at the memory. “I used a pretty simple self-defense throw and got him in a chokehold.”

“Hey now!” Jack protested, just like Mac knew he would. “You might’ve gotten me in a chokehold, but I was about to break that little skinny arm of yours.”

“You tell yourself that, big guy,” Mac said, grinning widely. “I had you right where I wanted you.”

“Easy, boys,” Danny chided, but he sounded amused. “There will be plenty of time to flirt later... and maybe we could see a rematch.”

“Oh, you’re terrible,” Mac said, nudging Danny with his elbow as Steve held the door for them. “And I’m up for it if Jack is.”

“You want to spar later and have them watch?” Jack asked incredulously. “You really want them to see how I kick your ass?”

“You sound way too confident for someone who already lost to me plenty of times,” Mac replied, smiling when Jack sputtered. “But if you’re so sure you’re going to win... what’s the harm in a little rematch?”

“I can’t wait for that,” Steve said, then cleared his throat. The main room of the center was full of vets sitting around shooting the shit, playing cards, or throwing darts. “Hey, everybody! I’m Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett with the Five-0 task force. I don’t know if you’ve had the news on, but there was an explosion downtown at one of the shopping centers. The suspect has some training in explosives and was most likely a sniper in the military. We’re looking for any information you might have regarding someone with those kinds of skills.”

The vets exchanged a few looks and then got back to what they were doing, pretty much ignoring Steve. “Are you sure yelling that out loud was the best solution?” Jack asked quietly, slowly looking around in search for anyone acting suspiciously. “They don’t seem too eager to talk.”

Steve made a face, because clearly he was used to people responding to his authority, but Mac had a different idea. “Two people died,” he said, and that got a couple of the vets to look up. “And at least a dozen people were seriously hurt. A few of them were kids.”

More glanced, and then a guy with scars all over his arms and one side of his face waved them over to his table. “What kind of explosive was it?” he asked, his voice a permanent rasp. “And what kind of gun?”

“M40 or M24,” Jack instantly replied, his voice confident, and apparently that was audible to the vet to because respect flashed in his eyes. “Means our sniper is mostly former Army.”

“And as for the bombing, the explosive was silver nitride,” Mac added, and the vet’s gaze shifted to him. “It was put in the water to contain the blast. We’re thinking it was just a test.”

The vet raised his eyebrows. “What the hell is silver nitride?” Mac explained the process by which silver nitride was created and how unstable it was, adding the information about the robbery at the urgent care clinic. The vet sighed and scratched his scarred face, then gestured for them to sit and said, “I’m Al Franklin, former sergeant in the Army. And unfortunately I think a couple of the guys who come here might be involved in what you’re describing.”

Mac exchanged a look with Jack because bombers tended to act alone, but... “That would explain the sniper,” he said quietly. “We said it’s unusual for someone to be both experienced with explosives and be a sniper at the same time... but if there’s a few of those guys, each of them could specialize in something different.”

“Tell us more about them,” Steve told Franklin. “Why do you think they could be involved?”

“The two fellas I’m thinking of served together in the Marine Corps,” Franklin started, pulling an unlit cigarette out from inside his flak jacket and tapping it on the edge of the table. Mac guessed he probably didn’t smoke anymore due to his injury, but it was an old habit. “Bruce Quirk and Jeremy Peterson. Quirk is the older of the two, the sniper, and Peterson sorta bounced around but wound up as a medic. They’ve both seen some shit, and if one of them finally lost his last marble the other wouldn’t be far behind.”

“I’ll call Kono and ask her to run the names, it’s a good lead,” Steve said, standing up, and he put his hand on Franklin’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

Franklin nodded and once Steve walked away he looked at Jack, tilting his head a little. “Everyone knows who McGarrett is, but I don’t know you. And you seem like you’ve seen combat too.”

Jack nodded, hooking a thumb toward Mac. “We both have... although I’ve probably seen more than him, given the fact that I was in twice.”

“Shit, son, you must be crazy,” Franklin said, chuckling. “Don’t know anybody who signed up twice.” He looked at Danny. “And you must be a cop, born and bred. You’ve got that look.”

“Not the first time I’ve heard it,” Danny replied with a smile. “But you got that right.”

“We really appreciate you helping us,” Mac said, not missing a few other guys shoot Franklin a dirty look. “These two guys are dangerous, especially if they’re not exactly in their right minds.”

“Yeah, and I’m afraid they might not be,” Franklin agreed. “I haven’t seen either one of them in a couple of days, and when they were here last, well...” He scratched his scars again, and Mac wonders if they were painful. “Peterson smelled like a goddamn cat box, and Quirk was real tense.”

“Ammonia smells like urine,” Mac said, frowning. “He probably got some on him while he was dipping the silver nitrate into it.”

“They must be our guys,” Danny said, looking over his shoulder to where Steve was talking on the phone. “I’m gonna go tell him. It was great meeting you,” he told Franklin, and then also got up and walked away.

“Yeah, we should probably get going,” Mac said, glancing at Jack. “Hopefully we find those two before they hurt anyone else.”

“Good luck,” Franklin said, and Mac and Jack stood and stepped outside, figuring Steve and Danny would join them in a moment.

“I’m guessing the next place we’ll head is wherever these two guys are living,” Jack commented, putting on his sunglasses. “And that ain’t gonna be fun.”

“If you’re about to suggest I should stay behind, don’t even try that,” Mac said.

Jack looked at him in surprise. “I wasn’t going to do that,” he said slowly, and tilted his head. “But actually—”

“No, Jack.” Mac shook his head before Jack could finish the sentence. “If Peterson is now into bombs, the place is probably going to be rigged. And if they don’t live together, then his place for sure.”

Steve and Danny came out of the veterans’ center before Jack could reply, and Steve said, “Okay, I’ve got some news. First of all, Kono and Bozer were able to track down all the registered M40s and M24s on the island, and one of them came back to Quirk. Second, Riley has the security footage from the urgent care when it was robbed, and when she ran facial rec on a partial she got a hit. It was Peterson.”

“So it is them,” Jack said, rubbing his fingers over his stubble. “Do we have an address for either of them?”

“Nothing on Quirk,” Danny said. “But Riley found an apartment that Peterson has been renting for a while.”

“Grover’s got SWAT rolling but we’re gonna try to do this quietly,” Steve said as they piled back into the Camaro. He put on the lights but not the siren and the traffic parted anyway. “Mac, are you comfortable being up front? Because if not I can have one of our bomb guys handle it.”

“No, it’s fine,” Mac said, ignoring the pointed look Jack gave him. “Besides, if Peterson uses the silver nitride again we’ll smell it before we see it.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that he might’ve put some other explosives near the doors and windows,” Jack pointed out. “We’ll have to be careful.”

“We will,” Mac assured him. “And if it turns out he did rig his place, I’ll disarm the bombs.”

“Okay, one of Danny’s vests should fit you,” Steve said, smiling a little. “And I _guess_ I have to let Jack borrow one of mine.”

“Everybody’s meeting a couple blocks from Peterson’s house so we can hash things out,” Danny added. “Riley should have the building plans by then.”

Mac chose not to mention that he rarely got to wear a vest during missions because usually there was no time to put one on, knowing it would only make Jack glare at him harder.

~***~

It didn’t take long for them to reach the meeting spot where everyone was already gearing up, SWAT all ready to go.

“Hey guys,” Desi said, waving them over to the trunk of Kono’s car. That was where Riley’s rig rested, and Mac felt Jack falter a step next to him when he saw Riley in a bulletproof vest.

“Okay, so this is the layout of Peterson’s house,” Riley said when the four of them joined the group and started strapping on gear. “Pretty standard, a door in the front and another one in the back. No garage, so if he’s building bombs he must be doing it in the basement.”

“We’ve got to assume both doors are wired,” Mac said, squinting at the screen. “It can’t be too complicated, he needs to be able to deactivate it whenever he wants to step outside and then activate it before he leaves. Still, we can’t just barge in there.” He looked up at Steve, avoiding Jack’s gaze. “I need to be the first one to get close.”

“Fuck no,” Jack said before Steve can speak. “Not by yourself, dude. This Quirk guy almost blew your head off earlier and we’ve got no idea what their motive is.”

“Hang on, we had Chin take a drive by to see if it looked like anyone was home,” Kono said. “Let’s see what he says. They both have vehicles registered in their names, so if there isn’t a garage and there’s no cars then they aren’t home. If they are... I’ll be covering as sniper, and we’ll have the house surrounded. But Mac’s right, he needs to go first.”

“I don’t like it,” Jack declared. “But if you’re goin’ then I’m goin’ with you, and don’t even bother arguing with me.”

Mac swallowed hard, trying to figure out if there was any chance to convince Jack to stay back... just in case. “If I fail to disarm the explosives by the door, I don’t want you to get hurt,” he said softly, looking at Jack pleadingly. “You can cover me from a distance.”

“Nope,” Jack replied, staring right into Mac’s eyes, his jaw set. “You go kaboom, I go kaboom, remember? I either go with you or I’m hogtying you and throwing you in this trunk.”

“Kinky,” Chin commented as he walked over. “The place looks deserted. Unless they stowed their cars somewhere, I don’t think they’re home.”

“That’s good and bad,” Danny pointed out, checking his vest. “If they’re not home it means they could be either searching for another target, or they’re already planting the bomb.”

“Even more reason for us to hurry up,” Mac said, patting his pockets to make sure his knife was there. “Maybe there are some clues in the house about possible targets.”

“Let’s move, people,” Steve said, and everything started happening at once.

Jack was handed an assault rifle, and he followed behind Mac on his left side as they stalked down the street. SWAT officers moved through the neighborhood along with Five-0, and soon they were in front of Peterson’s house. Steve gestured at everyone to stop and gave Mac a short nod. With one last deep breath, Mac walked toward the house, Jack right behind him.

He didn’t look around—he knew Jack was doing that for both of them—and he focused on approaching the door. When they walked up the steps Mac made sure to listen closely for any suspicious sounds, but everything around them was completely quiet. He inspected the seam between the door and the frame, looking for the telltale gleam of wires but seeing nothing. He shifted and looked through the nearest window, frowning when he saw nothing on the other side of the door.

“I think we’re okay to go in,” Mac said, and tested the doorknob. It was locked, which he expected, so he took out the set of lock picks Desi loaned him and got to work. He went slower than usual, but he wanted to avoid accidentally tripping a wire he might have missed. Once the lock clicked he slowly opened the door, looking inside and searching for any devices, but he found nothing. “All clear,” he told Jack, keeping his voice quiet in case someone was home after all. “But I’m going in first.”

“Fine,” Jack grumbled, his warmth reassuring against Mac’s back as they stepped inside.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I didn't think I was going to be posting again so soon, but because most of this chapter (and all of the next one) are nothing but filth, I decided to break it up a little bit. ;) Enjoy!

The entryway was small, and there was a living room to their left and a kitchen off to their right. The back door was in the kitchen and Mac could already see that it wasn’t rigged. He smelled ammonia, which he expected, and started searching for the door to the basement while looking around for potential explosives.

“This is weird,” he said in a whisper as they slowly moved down a narrow hallway. “The lack of explosives and traps, it’s... I mean, it’s nice, but also weird. Usually bombers are paranoid enough to try and blow up anyone who tries to get inside their lab, house, or wherever they’re building bombs.”

“Unless they aren’t planning on coming back,” Jack muttered, his gun just visible in Mac’s peripheral vision. “If the next bombing is the big one and they’ve already left, they might not need to protect anything here anymore.” Right as Jack finished that thought they turned a corner and found the door to the basement. “And this doesn’t look creepy at all.”

Mac carefully checked the door, but it wasn’t rigged either, so he slowly opened it and switched on the lights. It _was_ creepy, but they still needed to go down there, so Mac started walking down the stairs, glad that he wasn’t alone. Once they’re inside it was obvious it was where the bomb building was happening... and whatever Peterson built was unfortunately gone. The stench of ammonia was eye watering there, but Mac forced himself to look around a bit before he tapped his comm. “Guys? Peterson was definitely building bombs in the basement, but the next one is gone.” He glanced at Jack. “We’ll see if we can find any clues as to where he and Quirk are bringing it.”

“Copy that,” Steve’s voice sounded in his ear a moment later. “We’ll join you in a sec and send CSU to search the place, maybe they’ll find something.”

In the meantime Jack walked up to a big table in the middle of the basement and moved around some papers with the tip of his finger. “Check this out,” he said. “Those are some kind of leaflets?”

Mac frowned and joined him, picking up one of the papers and giving it a better look. The text was printed in small font, but essentially it was meant to be a warning to people on the island that anyone they know could secretly be a terrorist. “Well, I think Franklin was right about someone losing their last marble,” Mac said, brows furrowed. “Not sure how they went from this to making bombs, though. As a medic Peterson would know about silver nitrite, but... we’re missing something.”

“It would’ve been so much easier for Quirk to go on a killing spree with his rifle,” Jack pointed out, moving more papers around. “I know that bombs take out more people at once, but like you said—where did they get the idea in the first place?”

“I’m not sure,” Mac said, taking some pictures of the literature with his phone just in case. “Internet?”

“Probably,” Jack muttered darkly, and for just a second he sounded every inch his age. “You can find just about anything on there, including new and interesting ways to kill people. But none of this tells us about their next target.”

“And why _exactly_ they’re doing this,” Mac said, still feeling like they were missing something. “Like... I get some of it from the pamphlets, but... it doesn’t make sense. Something must’ve happened to them to radicalize them.” He tapped his comm. “Riley? Can you check when they got discharged? And why?”

“Yeah, hang on,” Riley said, typing away. “Okay, it looks like they were both discharged around the same time a couple years ago. They both sustained injuries after a suicide bombing in Afghanistan.”

“Who carried out the bombing?” Jack asked before Mac can, clearly thinking the same thing he was.

Riley was quiet for a moment, then said, “Two American soldiers who defected.”

“That’s why they think they can’t trust anyone, no matter what they look like,” Mac said grimly. “I’m not sure they’re planning to walk away from their next attack.”

“They’re definitely not,” Jack agreed, tapping his fingers on the table, looking deep in thought. “And they probably feel betrayed, by everyone, yes, but mostly by those American soldiers who carried out the bombing. So their target’s got to be something military related.” His eyes widened. “The veterans’ center.”

“Oh fuck,” Mac said, and they run up the stairs together and burst through the front door. “Guys! The target is the veterans’ center!”

“Son of a bitch,” Steve said, and everyone rushed for their cars. “We’ve gotta get over there right now.”

They piled into the Camaro and Steve started driving even before Danny fully closed the door. “This is it, right?” Jack asked, looking at Mac. “We’ve got it?”

“It makes sense,” Mac said, holding on tight when Steve took a sharp turn. “They were probably checking out the place, and everyone there probably feels like a traitor to them.”

“Jesus Christ,” Danny said, and it was hard to tell if he was responding to the motives of the bombers or Steve’s driving. “This is crazy.”

“Yeah, and it’s gonna get even crazier if we don’t get there in time,” Steve said, taking another turn and burning rubber. “Mac, will you be able to disarm the bomb if they’ve already set it?”

“I hope so,” Mac said, wringing his fingers and focusing on slowly breathing in and out. “Sometimes bombs built by amateurs are harder to disarm, they’re unpredictable.”

“If they’re not planning to survive this, they’re gonna stick around,” Danny pointed out. “And they won’t be happy about you trying to disarm the bomb.”

“They won’t be a problem,” Jack said with that flinty edge to his voice that never failed to make Mac shiver. “If they think nobody’s gonna try to stop them after that mess at the mall, they’re stupid.”

“Irrational, more like.” Steve slammed on the brakes about a block down from the veterans’ center and all the other cars stopped behind him. “Our number one concern has to be getting civilians clear.”

“And not getting ourselves blown up,” Danny added, and they got out of the car. “That would be nice.”

They all grabbed their guns again—well, Mac didn’t—and without wasting any time they ran toward the center. They were in the middle of a casual evacuation—when Chin called them from the car he told them to keep it quiet so that they wouldn’t spook Quirk and Peterson.

They spotted Franklin among those coming down the street, mouth set in a grim line. “It’s them, isn’t it?” he asked, and when Steve nodded he swore. “I knew it. Quirk’s truck is parked out behind the building—if you’re looking for a bomb, my best guess is that they brought it in through the back and are trying to get it as close to the middle of the building as possible.”

“This thing could level the entire block,” Mac told him, along with the nearby officers. “You need to get as far from here as possible.” Franklin nodded and the officers took over the evacuation, hurrying people down the street. “Let’s go,” Mac said to Jack and the others, and they ran inside the center, looking around and trying to decide where to go. “We need to split up,” he said. “That way we will find the bomb faster.”

“If you find Peterson or Quirk, take them down,” Steve said, his tone serious. “I don’t want one of you getting hurt because of these guys.” He went off with Danny, and Kono and Chin pair up along with Desi and Grover. That left Mac and Jack alone to creep through the main room of the center, toward a door that appears to lead to a hallway.

“Keep your head down,” Jack muttered, grabbing Mac by the shoulder to stop him so that he could go first, pushing Mac behind his back.

“I know, Jack,” Mac replied wryly, smiling a little as he let Jack lead the way. “Ain’t my first rodeo, as you would say.”

“I don’t sound like that,” Jack protested, raising his weapon and checking the doorway before he went into the hall, Mac trailing him. They started clearing rooms one at a time, and Jack made a frustrated sound when they didn’t find anything. “Does this place have a basement?”

“I’m not sure,” Mac replied, frowning a little and looking around. “I think so, look at that door.” He gestured at a door down the hall, which didn’t look like a normal door leading to a room.

“Nice catch,” Jack told him, and they slowly moved in that direction. “If they put the bomb in the basement, would do as much damage as if they put it up here?”

“Not to the surrounding area, but it would probably create a sinkhole,” Mac replied. He noticed a flyer on a wall and pulled it down to look at it. “Check this out. Maybe they didn’t expect to get caught so soon and wanted it to go off during this Salute to Service event.”

“There’d probably be a huge crowd of people, so that makes sense,” Jack said, putting his hand on the doorknob. “You ready?” Mac nodded and after taking a deep breath Jack opened the door. He pushed Mac back almost immediately, ducking behind the wall when bullets started flying in their direction, followed by screaming. “Son of a bitch,” Jack growled, trying to glance down to the basement, but he almost got his head blown off for his trouble.

Glass broke somewhere in the basement and a moment later clouds of tear gas begin wafting up the stairs. “The guys must’ve broken the windows,” Mac said as he and Jack moved back from the door. “But that means—”

Before he could get the words out, both Quirk and Peterson came charging up the stairs, coughing and gagging, both armed with handguns. As soon as their eyes landed on Mac and Jack they snarled and raised the guns. Before Mac could do anything at all Jack pushed him back and charged at them, knocking the gun out of Peterson’s face and punching him hard enough for him to fall down. Quirk was another story since he was clearly more experienced in hand-to-hand combat, so he managed to duck when Jack tried to knock him out, and he delivered a hit of his own.

As much as Mac wanted to help Jack out, he knew the bomb was the priority, so he skirted around their fight and headed for the stairs. He took them two at a time and skidded to a stop when he saw the bomb. It was easily three times bigger than the first one, and the stink of ammonia combined with the tear gas was noxious. Just like he thought, the bomb was clearly built by someone not very experienced, so it was pretty much a mess. There were plenty of wires tangled together and there was no visible timer, but it was possible it was hidden somewhere. Otherwise the bomb was designed to be set off remotely which was bad news, because if one of those guys managed to set it off now, Mac’s efforts to disarm it would be for nothing.

There was a creak on the stairs behind him, and he whirled around to see Peterson. He was bleeding from the back of his head and holding something small and black in his hand that looked an awful lot like a detonator. “Back away from the bomb,” he told Mac, his voice cracking. “Or I’ll blow us all to Kingdom Come right now!”

“I have a feeling you’re going to do this anyway,” Mac said, keeping his voice calm and raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. “But why don’t you tell me why you’re doing this first?”

“Because that’s what they deserve!” Peterson shouted, looking furious. “They’re all traitors, pretending to be the good guys while they’re planning to kill us.”

“Peterson... I know what happened to you and Quirk,” Mac started, taking a tentative step closer when Peterson faltered. Whether it was from the head injury or surprise he wasn’t sure. “It was horrible, and I’m so sorry. I was a soldier too, I know what it feels like to be betrayed... but not everyone is out to get you. And what about those people at the mall? Did they deserve what they got?”

Peterson stared at him for a moment and then shook his head, like he was trying to concentrate. “I don’t know, but it’s better to be safe than sorry,” he said, his thumb hovering over the button on the detonator. “Everyone could be one of them.”

“But plenty of people aren’t.” Mac took another step closer, but stopped when Peterson’s hand shook a little. “Killing everyone, no matter what... that’s what _they_ do. Do you really want to be someone like that?”

Peterson shook his head and gripped the remote tighter. “Shut up, you’re trying to trick me! Just stop, I’m not gonna—”

Mac lunged for Peterson’s wrist, grabbing the joint with one hand and bending his thumb back with the other. He dropped the detonator and thankfully the bomb didn’t go off, but Mac didn’t have time to celebrate because Peterson was punching him in the face. He stumbled back from the hit, blood filling his mouth because he bit the inside of his cheek, his jaw throbbing painfully. Peterson tried to grab the detonator, but Mac kicked him in the ribs, pushing him away, and he grabbed him by the shirt to punch him as hard as he could.

Mac’s knuckles connected with Peterson’s nose with a sickening crack, pain lancing up his arm. Nose exploded in a burst of blood, Peterson let out a roar and grabbed Mac’s shoulders, ramming him into the nearest wall and punching him in the stomach. Breathless, Mac tried to headbutt Peterson but he stepped back, grabbing Mac by the hair and throwing him to the floor. He kicked him in the ribs next and while the vest he wore protected him a little, it still hurt. Groaning, Mac tried to get up or to drag Peterson down, but he got punched again, the hit hard enough to stun him for a moment. Everything spun around him, but he made out Peterson’s ugly smirk before he walked away to grab the detonator.

Two gunshots ripped through the air, and for a split second Mac was terrified that Jack just got shot upstairs. But then Peterson fell to the floor in a spray of blood and bone, and Jack appeared on the stairs. “Mac!” he exclaimed, rushing over to crouch next to him, one hand landing on his chest through the vest. “Are you okay?”

Mac blinked rapidly and after a moment his saw Jack’s blurry face, eyes full of concern. “I’m... fine,” he mumbled even though he felt anything but—he was still a little breathless and his ribs hurt. “I’m good, I... the bomb,” he muttered, and tried to sit up. “It’s still... active, I need to—fuck,” he groaned. “Help me up?”

“Yeah, yeah, here.” Jack slipped an arm under Mac’s back and helped him sit upright first. He leaned over and grabbed the detonator, careful not to touch the button as he set it on top of the bomb. Then he touched Mac’s bruising cheek, checked him over a little and dragged Mac to his feet. “Okay, what can I do to help?”

“Keep talking to me,” Mac muttered, stepping closer to the bomb and kneeling in front of it. “It helps me think and distracts me from possibility getting blown up.” He pushed his hair out of his eyes and reached into his pocket to grab his knife. “What happened to Quirk?”

“I killed him,” Jack said slowly, like it should be obvious—and it would be, if Mac wasn’t royally distracted. “Beat him down and broke his neck.” He crouched next to Mac, half-turned toward the stairs in case they got any unexpected visitors. “Thought Peterson was down for good, but when I looked up he was gone.”

“I... I tried talking him down, but he was too far gone,” Mac said, blinking rapidly and trying to get his stupid brain to work normally. “I did manage to knock the detonator out of his hand, though, but then it didn’t go so well.”

“Good thing I showed up, huh?” Jack murmured, putting his hand on Mac’s shoulder and squeezing lightly. “Now come on, baby, disarm the thing and let’s get outta here.”

Mac nodded tightly, his face and ribs throbbing in time with his heart. He wiped some sweat off his brown and concentrated, and once he figured out the pattern of the wires the bomb was actually easy to disarm. “It’s done,” he said, falling back on his ass and swallowing hard. “A hazmat team needs to work with the bomb squad get rid of the silver nitride—it’s highly toxic.”

“I’m sure they can handle it,” Jack assured him, and as soon as he stood up and moved behind Mac, he slumped against his legs, closing his eyes. “Hey, hey, you okay?”

“Y-yeah, I’m good,” Mac said quietly, taking a deep breath and wincing when his ribs hurt. “Just tired.”

“Okay, c’mere,” Jack murmured, putting his hands under Mac’s arms and lifting him to his feet.

He got an arm around Mac’s back and helped him to the stairs, climbing slowly so Mac could match his pace. They passed Quirk’s body on their way outside, and once they got into the sun Danny was in front of Mac, putting his hands on his shoulders. “Hey, you okay?” he asked, sounding an awful lot like Jack. “You need somebody to check you out?”

“No, no, I’m fine,” Mac quickly said, not in the mood to deal with the paramedics. “Just a few bruises, no big deal.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “Jesus, you sound just like Steve,” he said, still looking concerned, and Mac really appreciated it.

Danny opened his mouth, clearly to say more, but he didn’t get a chance because Steve came jogging to them. “Hey, you guys alright?”

“Yeah, we’re good,” Jack said, giving Mac a little squeeze.

They were joined by the rest of the gang a moment later, and Grover looked pissed. “Sorry about the tear gas,” he said. “Miscommunication between me and the SWAT commander. I’m gonna go rip him a new asshole.”

“You’re buying the beer for tonight!” Danny called after him, laughing when Grover gave him the middle finger. “Usually after a big case like this everybody comes over to Steve’s and hangs out, has something to eat. You guys in?” He raised an eyebrow. “Or are you going to take advantage of Five-0’s standing discount at the Hilton that I am definitely not telling you about?”

Mac felt his cheeks burn, the implication very clear, and he cleared his throat, trying to come up with something to say. “That’s certainly a very tempting offer,” Jack replied for him, grinning widely, seeming not bothered at all. “Definitely something to consider.”

“Yeah, if you’re gonna be doing what I’m planning to do tonight, then it would be better if you stayed at the hotel,” Danny said with a smirk, and Mac choked a little. “Wouldn’t want _that_ to turn into another competition and you know how Steve is.”

“Maybe we should get a hotel room too,” Desi said, glancing at Riley. “You know, so we don’t have to beat each other into unconsciousness to avoid listening to that.”

“That’s a great idea,” Riley agreed, and Mac caught the way her cheeks flushed. “I’ll book it right now.”

Mac frowned, looking at both women. “Wait, so... you’re not surprised? About me and Jack?”

Riley looked at him like he lost his mind. “Are you serious?” she asked, raising one eyebrow. “Everyone knows you’ve been in love since... forever, only you two were too blind to see the other one felt the same way.”

“It’s obvious even to me,” Desi said wryly, smiling a little. “And I’ve know you for a day, Mac.”

“Shit, baby, we’re stupid,” Jack said, leaning in to kiss his cheek. “And you’re the smartest person I know.”

Mac laughed, wincing a little when it pulled at his ribs. “A jetted tub does sound nice right about now,” he admitted, smiling at Jack. “Plus then you can buy me that fancy dinner you owe me.”

“I recall you also mentioning a beach,” Jack said teasingly.

Mac rolled his eyes. “I’m fine with switching to a fancy restaurant, or maybe a pool,” he said, before looking at Riley. “Can you book a room for us as well?”

“Sure,” Riley replied, wrinkling her nose. “God knows I want to see and hear nothing of that.” She gestured between him and Jack, and then glanced at Danny. “Should I just mention Five-0, or do I need something to get that discount?”

“Book the rooms and give me the confirmation number, I’ll do the rest,” Danny said, and they all broke off to separate vehicles to go to Steve’s place.

~***~

Mac’s head started to ache on the ride there, but he managed to hide it until he and Jack were in Steve’s borrowed truck with Riley and Desi, their suitcases in the back. “Did anyone tell Bozer how screwed he is?” Jack wondered aloud, glancing at Mac and frowning. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Mac mumbled, resting his head against the window, the glass cool where his temple was pressed to it. “Just tired.” He knew this is the exact same thing he said earlier after disarming the bomb, and he knew Jack wasn’t buying it, but he hopes he wasn’t going to say anything until they were at the hotel. “Bozer will be fine,” he added, closing his eyes.

Desi snorted. “I doubt that. He’ll be down on the couch and think the ceiling’s gonna cave in on him once Danny and Steve start fucking upstairs.”

“Oh god, he’s gonna kill us,” Riley said, giggling a little bit. “But I’ll be busy eating little shrimp in a bikini, so I don’t care.”

Mac chuckled when he heard that, focusing on the motion of the truck, and before he knew it they were in front of the valet station at the Hilton. Jack gave a valet the keys while the bellboy grabbed their suitcases and took them inside. Jack whistled, looking around. “This is nice,” he commented. “Can’t wait to see the room.” Together they headed to the counter where a smiling receptionist welcomed them cheerfully. Soon they had their room keycards and it turned out the girls’ room was on another floor, so they split up before reaching the elevators, promising to stay in touch... but Mac doubted that was going to happen any time soon.

Jack unlocked the door to their room and whistled again, louder this time, and set their bags down on the luggage rack. “Damn, hoss, check this out.” He gestured toward the view off their balcony. “Not gonna get this in LA.”

“No, definitely not,” Mac agreed as they step outside, the warm salt of the air immediately making him feel a little better. “This is what I was hoping for when we came here.”

“A gorgeous view?” Jack asked teasingly. “Or a fancy hotel?”

“Just... the feeling of vacation,” Mac replied, smiling when Jack stepped behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist. “Also _this_ is nice... but it never even crossed my mind to hope for that.”

Jack pressed a soft kiss to the back of his neck, nuzzling his skin. “Same,” he murmured. “How are you feeling? And I want the truth, please.”

“My head hurts,” Mac admitted, sighing and leaning into Jack. He rested his aching skull against his shoulder and shut his eyes. “And I know I have a bruise over my ribs.” He put his hands over Jack’s, stroking a thumb over his knuckles. “Let’s order some room service.”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Jack whispered against his ear. “Maybe I could give you a massage? You think that would help?”

“It definitely wouldn’t hurt,” Mac replied, and neither of them moved, even though they had to if they wanted to eat. “Didn’t know you knew how to massage.”

“I’m not a professional or anything,” Jack murmured, pressing his nose into Mac’s hair, and it felt like he was breathing in his smell. “But I’ve picked up a few skills over time.”

“Did you learn it for a mission?” Mac asked, sighing again when Jack pulled away a little, tugging him gently toward the bed.

“I did,” Jack confirmed once Mac sat on the edge of the mattress, ducking into the bathroom to grab some towels and a bottle of... something. “That was how it started, anyway. It’s a nice way to help people out, so I learned more.”

“Sounds nice,” Mac said, watching as Jack spread the towels on the mattress. He started unbuttoning his shirt, trying not to since when his ribs hurt whenever he moved too much. He felt Jack’s eyes on him when he slid the shirt off and he laid on his back, opening his belt. “So what was the mission about? Were you undercover as a masseur?”

“I was,” Jack said, his voice oddly hoarse. When Mac looked at his face he saw the desire in his eyes and it made him feel warm all over. “I’ll tell you the rest of the story, but... you need help?”

“Please,” Mac whispered, letting his own eyes slip shut as Jack took off his boots for him, followed by his jeans. “You can take off the underwear too.”

He heard Jack’s breath hitch, his rough hands sliding up Mac’s thighs, the touch making him shudder. “You’re killin’ me, baby,” he murmured, and then his fingers hooked over the waistband of his boxer-briefs and slowly tugged them down. Just like with Steve, Mac felt exposed, but this time he felt better about it... even though he knew he didn’t compare to Jack. “You’re beautiful,” Jack said, almost like he could read Mac’s mind. One of his hands squeezed Mac’s hip, the other one sliding up his body to cup his cheek, causing Mac to open his eyes. “I’ve wanted to tell you that for so long.” He smiled, thumb brushing over Mac’s lower lip. “Turn over?”

Mac’s heart fluttered, especially when he saw how sincere Jack’s eyes were, and he did as he was told, rolling over on his stomach. The mattress dipped a moment later when Jack knelt on the bed, moving closer to Mac and straddling his thighs, the material of Jack’s jeans rough against his skin. His weight pinned Mac to the bed and Mac’s cock started to twitch with the beginning of arousal.

“Found some massage oil in the bathroom,” Jack informed him, the cap on the bottle popping open. He rubbed the oil between his palms, and when they touched Mac’s back goosebumps broke out on his skin. “So anyway, I had to pretend to be a masseur in order to get close to this fella who was the son of a cartel boss.”

“Sounds dangerous,” Mac mumbled, and then he moaned when Jack moved his hands to his shoulders, kneading lightly. “Oh, that feels so good.”

“Eh, it was fine,” Jack replied, putting more pressure with his hands. “They guy brought his bodyguards everywhere with him, so he was rarely alone... but one of those moments was when he was getting a massage. Mostly because his massages would later end with sex with whoever was massaging him.”

Mac’s muscles slowly started to loosen, his eyes closing again. His brain wasn’t working too well, but he could still follow the conversation. “So... does that mean you had sex with him?”

“Uh huh,” Jack said, kneading the tension from Mac’s shoulders before he moved lower, avoiding the sore spot over Mac’s ribs. “And before you ask, it was damn good. Made me come three times.”

“So I guess your plan worked, you did get close to him,” Mac mumbled, trying to ignore the pang of jealousy he felt. “And he really must’ve been great if you still remember that after all this time.” He groaned when Jack started massaging his lower back. “So why... what did you need from him? How did the mission end?”

“Needed intel on where his daddy was gonna be so we could take him out, and this was back before everything was done on a computer,” Jack said, and the rumble of his voice was almost as soothing as his hands. “And the mission ended with me killing his father. He never found out I was the one who did it.” He leaned down and presses a kiss to the back of Mac’s neck. “Now, you gotta tell me what I’m doing, baby. Did you want more than a massage? Because I’m happy to stop here and put you in tub.”

Mac made a soft sound, hips twitching as he ground his half-hard cock into the mattress. “Don’t you dare stop,” he mumbled, turning his head to look at Jack over his shoulder. “There’ll be time for the tub later.”

Jack smiled a little, knuckles digging into the muscles just above Mac’s ass. “Okay, sweetheart. Whatever you want.” He shifted further down Mac’s legs, slick hands palming both of his ass cheeks, squeezing a little. Mac whined quietly, swallowing hard and doing his best not to lose it completely. He’d been dreaming about Jack and having _this_ with him for so long, and a part of him couldn’t believe Jack wanted the same thing. He groped Mac’s ass for a moment before he spread his ass cheeks apart. “I’m gonna try something, alright?” he murmured. “If you don’t like it just tell me.”

Mac let out a shaky breath, fingers twisting in the bedsheets. “Okay,” he whispered, gasping a second later when he felt the wet flick of Jack’s tongue against his hole. “Oh god, _Jack_.”

That encouraged Jack to press the flat of his tongue against Mac’s entrance, licking over it steadily before slipping it inside him. He moaned loudly, his hips twitching, and he whined when Jack put an arm over his lower back to pin him down. The fact that he could do that so easily was a big turn on for Mac, and his cock twitched where it was pressed into the mattress.

Jack hummed quietly and continued licking into him, slowly moving his tongue in and out of him, and after a moment he added one finger along with it. Mac felt feverish with how turned on he was and wonders if this was actually real. He writhed as best he could under the pressure of Jack’s arm, the friction from the towel driving him almost as crazy as Jack’s finger and tongue. Soon his tongue was gone, replaced by the slick pressure from two fingers, hooking to try to find Mac’s prostate.

Jack kissed his way up Mac’s back, covering his body with his own and pressing his lips to his ear. “Good?” he murmured, nipping in the lobe.

Mac nodded frantically. “Y-yeah,” he stuttered out, whimpering when Jack’s fingers pushed in deeper, and he moaned loudly when he found his prostate. While he did this not that long ago with Steve, it felt a million times better now. “So g-good, Jack.”

“I’m glad.” Jack’s voice rumbled against his back as his fingers continued to work inside him, circling against Mac’s prostate. “You think you can come like this? Because if I’ve got anything to say about it you won’t just have one orgasm today.”

“I d-don’t know, but you can try,” Mac replied hoarsely, moaning again. “Please.”

“I can make you fall apart over and over again,” Jack murmured, adding a third finger alongside the first two, spreading them apart. Mac groaned, tugging on the bedsheets with his hands, and he felt Jack smile against his shoulder. “You have no idea how gorgeous you are like this.”

Mac cried out, not in response to the words but from the way Jack teased him just right. He twisted his fingers inside Mac, stretching everything even more, and then they probed his prostate again. He made a high-pitched noise and came suddenly, coating himself and the towel underneath him in sticky warmth.

“That’s it, baby,” Jack murmured in his ear, working him through the orgasm with his fingers.

Mac whined when he pulled those fingers out, but then Jack rolled him on his back and away from the wet spot, and he leaned down to press their lips together in a hungry kiss. He was still completely dressed which shouldn’t be that hot, but it _was_ , and Mac moaned, wrapping his arms around Jack’s neck and letting him devour his mouth with his tongue. The material of Jack’s jeans was rough against Mac’s cock but it felt perfect, just this side of too much.

Mac spread his legs to accommodate Jack’s body, dragging him back by his shirt to look him in the eye. “I want you to fuck me,” he panted out, and he knew he must be a reddened sweaty mess but he didn’t care. “Right now. Please.”

Jack groaned and pressed a kiss to Mac’s jaw before burying his face in his neck. “Fuck, this is going to kill me,” he muttered, running one hand up and down Mac’s side before he pushed himself back and knelt between Mac’s legs. He yanked his t-shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor, and he opened his jeans. “I should have some lube and condoms in my bag,” he said, shifting so that he could take his pants off, leaving him in just his boxer-briefs.

Mac’s face burned. “Um... there’s something I should tell you,” he said, swallowing hard as Jack’s attention came back to him. “When Steve and I had sex, I... we didn’t use a condom after the first time. I’m clean and so is he, so... yeah. You don’t, um, you don’t need to use one unless you want to. Which I would understand.”

Jack stilled and Mac held his breath as he processed that information. “You let him fuck you bare?” Jack asked quietly after a moment, his voice low and almost dangerous. Mac swallowed again and nodded, hoping like hell this wasn’t something that would make Jack change his mind about all of this, and he gasped when Jack was suddenly on top of him, grabbing his wrists and pinning them above his head, the corner of his mouth twitching up in a smirk. “So what are we gonna do about that, hmm?”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! This chapter is literally just smut! The first part is the continuation of the MacDalton smut from the previous chapter and the second part is some DesRiley smut. ;) The only thing left of this fic after this chapter is the epilogue, which I'll try my best to get up before my next semester starts at the end of the month. Enjoy!

Relief coursed through Mac’s veins and he relaxed under the pressure of Jack’s hands and body. He licked his lips, aware of Jack’s eyes following the movement. “I guess you’ll have to do the same thing,” he said, feigning nonchalance. “You know, to make it even.” He smirked back. “I let him tie me up, too.”

Jack fingered tighten around his wrists, squeezing hard enough for it to hurt a little, but in a good way. “Oh yeah? What else did you let him do?”

“That’s—that’s it, I think,” Mac replied, his breath hitching when Jack leaned down to mouth on the birthmark below his jaw.

“And how many times did you do it?” Jack muttered against his skin, rolling his hips down and grinding his cock against Mac’s thigh through the material of his underwear. “How many times did he make you come?”

“Twice,” Mac whispered, feeling oddly dirty, like they were talking about something shameful, but it didn’t sting like it did when they had their argument back on the beach. “It was... really good. He pushed me a-almost too far, but I liked it a lot.” He arched into Jack’s movements even though he wasn’t hard again yet. “This is already better.”

“Yeah?” Jack murmured, sucking a bruise near Mac’s pulse point. “Why’s that?”

“B-because I love you,” Mac breathed out, moaning softly. “It was good with Steve, but I—I didn’t have any feelings for him. Everything is better with y-you.” Jack stilled above him and when he lifted his head his eyes, while still dark with lust, now were also more emotional. “Jack?” Mac couldn’t help the worry that laced his voice, and his fingers twitched with the desire to touch him. “Are you... okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Jack said softly, holding Mac’s wrists with one hand and bringing the other one down to touch his cheek. “It’s just... I love you too. So much.”

Mac tilted his head to kiss Jack’s fingers, smiling widely. “That’s good,” he murmured, and raises one eyebrow. “Now how about we get back to what we were doing?”

“Gladly,” Jack said with a grin, letting go of Mac’s hands for a moment to take off his underwear. “Let me just grab the lube—”

“You can use the massage oil, or whatever that was,” Mac interjected, writhing impatiently. “It’s fine.”

“Jeez, someone’s impatient,” Jack teased, sliding his hands down Mac’s thighs and hitching his legs up over his shoulders. “You think you can keep your hands up there by yourself?”

“I’ll try,” Mac said, chewing on his lower lip and letting out a groan when he felt Jack’s cock brush his ass. “But no promises.”

“You better,” Jack murmured, lining himself up, and Mac whimpered when he felt how _big_ he was. He already knew that after sucking him off, but having the head of his cock pressed against his entrance made it even more obvious. “I might have to punish you otherwise.”

“Maybe... maybe I’d like you to punish me,” Mac ventured, and his brows furrowed, mouth dropping open as Jack started pushing inside. “Oh god, _fuck_ , you’re so big.” His breathing got faster, the pressure increasing, and Jack paused once the head breached him. “Please... don’t stop. More.”

“You sure?” Jack asked, voice laced with concern. “You just said—”

“I didn’t mean it as a bad thing,” Mac said, cutting him off. “I love how big you are, now _please_ , I need more.”

Jack blinked at him in surprise, but then he leaned down to press their lips together and he continued pushing inside him, slowly but steadily. “So about me punishing you...” he started in a low voice. “You’d really be into that?”

“Do you honestly expect me to think right now?” Mac groaned out, sparks skipping up his back with every inch of Jack’s hot, hard length. “Uh... yes, I’d really be into that. But not right now.” Making deliberate eye contact, Mac moved his hands, bringing them up to frame Jack’s face. “Right now I want you to fuck me until I can’t walk.”

Jack’s eyes darkened even more if possible and he leaned down to give Mac a hard kiss. “I can definitely do that,” he murmured, grinding forward once their hips are flush together.

Mac’s breath hitched and then he gasped when Jack pulled back almost entirely, only to slam back inside him in one smooth thrust. Mac cried out in surprise and pleasure, moaning when Jack set up a fast pace right away, his hands grabbing Mac’s wrists and pinning them above his head again. The position pressed Mac’s knees into his chest with Jack’s weight on top of him, but he didn’t mind—in fact, he liked it. He practically screamed when Jack found his prostate, a sharp burst of heat blasting through him as his cock began to fill again.

This was intense in a way that was entirely different from how it was with Steve and he continued to cry out and gasp for air as Jack fucked him hard. Jack kept looking down at him for a while, watching him with a hungry gaze, but then he buried his face in Mac’s neck. He groaned and grunted against his skin, panting for breath, but he didn’t slow down, pounding into Mac like a well-oiled machine.

“Oh god,” Mac cried out when Jack slammed into his prostate particularly hard. “J-Jack, fuck.”

“I know,” Jack gritted out, something close to a sob muffled by Mac’s throat. Clearly this was just as good for him as it was for Mac, and that was kind of mind blowing. “I know, baby.” If it was possible for Jack to move faster he did, striking Mac’s prostate with almost every thrust. “I’m so close, Mac, I’m gonna—”

If he could Mac would wrap his arms around Jack to hold him close, but with his arms pinned to the mattress he couldn’t. “G-go ahead,” he gasped instead, clenching around Jack’s cock. “Let go, Jack.”

Jack cried out almost like he needed Mac’s permission, slamming his hips forward a few more times before he came. Heat floods Mac’s insides as Jack continued to move, small twitches of his hips that were involuntary. He bit down on Mac’s pulse when he came and took a moment to relax his jaw, slumping down against Mac and letting go of his wrists.

Mac moaned softly when he felt all that come inside him, and he whimpered when he realized Jack was still hard inside him. He brought up his arms and wrapped them around Jack’s shoulders, hugging him tightly and closing his eyes. “Are you okay?” he asked quietly, ignoring his aching cock for now. “Jack?”

Jack let out a shuddering breath. “Yeah, baby,” he whispered, kissing at the mark he left behind on Mac’s neck. “I’m just... that was...” He paused. “It takes a lot to render me speechless. Congratulations.”

Mac snorted and kissed Jack’s cheek. “Dork. I thought something might be wrong.”

“No, I’m fine,” Jack murmured, nuzzling Mac’s skin. “Even better than fine, baby. That was... incredible.”

“Agreed,” Mac said a little breathlessly, both because Jack was heavy on top of him and because he was still painfully hard. “Best sex of my life.”

Jack smiled against his neck. “Better than it was with the navy water baby?”

“Oh my god, _yes_ ,” Mac said, rolling his eyes and using a hand to turn Jack’s face so he could kiss him on the mouth. “Now stop bringing up poor Steve. I’m sure he’s having better sex with Danny right now than he did with me.”

Jack actually looked offended which was hilarious. “What? Baby, you’re fucking _amazing_ , so I don’t think—”

“Jack,” Mac interjected, laughing a little. “That’s not the point, babe,” he said, the endearment slipping out without his permission. “What’s important here is that I’m with you, I’m happy with you... and I _really_ need you to make me come again.”

Jack blinked, looking adorable for a moment, and then he grinned wolfishly. “Okay... I can definitely do that.” He drew his hips back slowly, his come leaking from Mac’s hole as one hand stroked his thigh. “So, when I mentioned punishing you earlier... you weren’t opposed. And you did technically move your hands when I told you not to.”

Mac shivered and he chewed on his lower lip to hide a smile. He slid his hands to Jack’s shoulders and squeezed lightly, inhaling sharply when Jack gently pushed back inside him. “I did do that,” he said, his voice steady, and he raised one eyebrow, hoping the look he gave Jack was challenging enough. “So what are you going to do about it?”

“Well, that depends,” Jack drawled, thrusting in and out of him shallowly. “What are you up for? Personally I’ve always wanted to give that ass of yours a good smack or two, but only if that’s something you want.”

“Yes,” Mac breathed out, groaning when Jack pulled out again. He crawled up to the headboard and flipped Mac over, dragging him so he was lying across Jack’s lap. “Spank me, please.”

“God, I’ve never thought I’d get to hear you say that,” Jack groaned, running one hand up and down Mac’s spine. Mac whined in response, wiggling his ass impatiently, and Jack let out a hoarse chuckle, his hand sliding lower to squeeze one of his ass cheeks. “Patience, darlin’.”

“I’ve been patient for years,” Mac groused, sighing when Jack’s fingers dragged over his sloppy entrance. “Please Jack, just... _please_.”

“Okay,” Jack whispered, pulling his hand away... and then he brought it down against Mac’s ass in a stinging smack. “That good? Or you want it harder?”

Mac gasped loudly, hands twisting in the bedsheets, but he needed more. “H-harder, please,” he whimpered, moaning when Jack spanked him again. It stung more this time and Mac _loved_ it, his hard cock twitching where it was pressed against Jack’s thigh. “Feels s-so good, Jack.”

“This _is_ supposed to be a punishment, you know,” Jack reminded him, sounding amused and aroused at the same time. “You aren’t supposed to enjoy those, technically.”

“Fuck that,” Mac mumbled, crying out when Jack struck him again. The pain went straight to his dick, and he knew he could come just from this. He never knew something like this could feel so good, but it _did_.

“You’re really loving this, don’t you?” Jack asked in a low voice after he spanked Mac’s ass again and he muffled a shout of pleasure against the mattress. “How much can you take?”

“I d-don’t know,” Mac admitted, yelping when Jack hit him three times in a row in the same spot, his flesh burning. “As m-much as you want to give me.”

“I can do this for hours, baby,” Jack murmured, plunging two fingers into his ass with no warning. “You know what I’d _really_ like to do? Go downstairs and get that rope from McGarrett’s truck, tie you to this bed.” He smacked Mac’s ass while he searched for his prostate. “What else does he have in that truck, huh?”

Mac opened his mouth, but before he could say anything he moaned loudly when Jack’s fingers press against his prostate. “H-he used that toy on me,” he gasped, whining when Jack stilled, not moving his fingers or spanking him. “It was for a... for a woman, but it worked g-great as a buttplug.”

“Fuck, that’s hot,” Jack growled, pulsing his fingers against his prostate, making Mac groan. “I’m gonna make you come just like this, and then I’m gonna come all over you.” He reached underneath Mac and put his hand around his cock, thumbing at the head as he fucked him with his fingers. “And then I’m going downstairs, and you’re gonna stay right here and not touch yourself.”

Mac whimpered pitifully, his hips twitching frantically between the pressure of Jack’s fingers inside him and his grip around his cock. He gasped and moaned for a while longer, and when Jack added a third finger, thrusting them in and out more roughly, Mac came with a loud shout, spurting all over Jack’s hand.

“Oh yeah, that’s it,” Jack encouraged, working him through it for a moment before he took his hands away. Then he slipped out from underneath Mac and straddled his reddened ass, slick noises indicating he was jerking himself off. He made a string of obscene noises and striped Mac’s back with his come.

Mac moaned softly, shuddering when he felt Jack’s come on his skin, but other than that he didn’t move, too blissed out to do anything. “Fuck, you’re so incredible for me,” Jack muttered, tracing patterns with one finger on Mac’s back, making even a bigger mess. After a moment he slid off his body and smacked one of Mac’s ass cheeks before getting up from the bed and putting his clothes on. “I meant what I said—you stay there, I’ll be right back.”

Mac hummed an acknowledgement, letting his eyes slip shut. He heard Jack grab Steve’s keys and leave the hotel room, the door locking automatically behind him. He fell into an odd twilight state, not asleep but not really awake either, come dried on both sides of his body. He barely heard it when the door opens again, and the next thing he knew he felt Jack’s hands rolling him on his back. He didn’t say a word, tying... something around Mac’s head as a blindfold—maybe a belt from a robe?

Then Mac felt the press of leather against his lips and saliva flooded his mouth, because Jack wanted to gag him _before_ he tied him up. He was more than okay with it and he opened his mouth right away, realizing Jack’s gagging him with his own belt. Jack still hadn’t said anything yet since he came back to the room, and the next thing he did was put Mac’s wrists above his head, tying the rope tightly around them before most likely attaching it to the headboard—it wasn’t like Mac could see what was happening.

The next thing he felt was Jack’s weight straddling his legs, keeping him pinned. He got undressed at some point so they were skin on skin, and his hands landed on Mac’s chest. He rubbed both his nipples with his thumbs, making them ache, and then he said softly, “I’m going to wreck you, baby. You said Steve pushed you until it was almost too much? We’re gonna see about that.” One hand slid down Mac’s body, and a single fingertip teased at his oversensitive cock. “Gonna get you nice and hard again, then finish tying you up.”

Mac moaned brokenly in response, his cock oversensitive, but he didn’t give a damn. “Fuck, you have no idea how gorgeous you look right now,” Jack murmured, keeping his touch feather light and teasing. “All gagged and tied up, just for me.” His fingers skimmed over Mac’s ribs and abs while he continued touching his cock with one finger, clearly planning to drive Mac crazy.

Mac writhed as much as he could given his position and he made a broken noise when Jack dragged his nail over the slit. “We’re gonna see if you like prostate orgasms,” Jack continued, and the next thing that dragged along Mac’s cock was the rope. “See how many times you can come without your dick involved at all. How does that sound, sweetheart?”

Mac let out a high, desperate whine, and he wanted to spread his legs to give Jack a green light, but he _couldn’t_ , not with Jack straddling his legs like that. “See, I knew you’d be on board,” Jack said, and even though he was blindfolded Mac could tell Jack was smirking. “You’re just perfect for me, aren’t you? Letting me do whatever I damn please?”

Mac nodded because he was unable to do anything else, pushing his hips up as much as he could into Jack’s teasing touches until his cock started to twitch. “There you go,” Jack whispered, leaning down to mouth at his jaw. “Such a good boy.” Mac flushed under the praise and whimpered, his back arching when Jack started sucking a bruise below his jaw. He had no idea how it was possible for him to be still so turned on, but he was, feeling like he was on fire, sparks of pleasure shooting up his spine.

Evidently satisfied with the mark he left behind, Jack drew back and Mac heard the smile in his voice when he spoke. “Feels good, I bet. Usually once I’ve come a couple times it’s the same way for me.”

The rope returned, looping around Mac’s body and the base of his cock before Jack shuffled off of him. He didn’t bind Mac’s legs, choosing instead to roll him over, the length of rope allowing him to turn without his shoulders getting wrenched. Mac moaned softly, the sound muffled by the belt, and he sighed when Jack laid down and pressed himself against Mac’s side. He attached his lips to his shoulder, kissing and biting at the skin while one of his hands slowly slides down Mac’s spine. It stopped when it reached his ass, kneading one of his ass cheeks for a moment before Jack’s fingers start teasing his abused hole.

“Just kick me if it’s too much, okay?” Jack said, his kisses and touch gentling for a moment. It’s so sweet that it made Mac’s teeth ache. “I never wanna hurt you, baby. So you’ve gotta tell me if something’s wrong.” Once Mac nodded his understanding, Jack went back to scraping his teeth along bone and pushed two fingers inside Mac.

Mac moaned, his hands clenching in fists as Jack’s fingers move in and out of him, Jack’s come easing their way in. “Grabbed that lube I mentioned earlier,” Jack murmured, and Mac heard the sound of the bottle being opened. “The massage oil might not be enough for everything I’m planning to do to you.”

Mac read between the lines—the extra slickness will make sure Jack didn’t hurt him—and he was pretty sure he couldn’t love Jack any more than he did in that moment. He relaxed into the sensation of Jack’s fingers searching for his prostate, letting out a soft groan when he found it. The pressure on the base of his cock was exquisite, just enough to ache, and soon he found himself floating in that far-away place as Jack prodded him towards the edge.

Jack continued nipping at his skin, sucking and marking him which shouldn’t have been as hot as it was. He was hard again—or maybe he stayed hard, Mac wasn’t sure—and he was thrusting lightly, grinding his cock against Mac’s hip. “You’re so perfect,” he breathed out against Mac’s shoulder, groaning when his hips snapped a little harder. “Such a good boy for me.”

Mac whimpered and shuddered when Jack moved his fingers in time with the motion of his hips. _Something_ was building low in his belly, not the kind of heat that was tormenting his cock. He didn’t know what it was but it felt good, and soon it spread through his whole body. He moaned loudly and tugged on the restraints, his body tremble with the intense pleasure washing over him. Jack worked him through it, fucking him with his fingers and mouthing at the side of his neck, biting down a little harder when Mac clenched around his fingers.

“That’s one,” Jack murmured, rubbing careful fingertips over his prostate until Mac squirmed with discomfort. “You want another?” When Mac nodded frantically, feeling like he was on fire in the best possible way, Jack removed his fingers and climbed on top of him, pushing his huge cock inside Mac’s body with no resistance. Mac made a broken sound, whimpering when Jack thrusted inside him in one smooth move. “Fuck, you’re still so tight,” Jack grunted, biting down on his shoulder as he started moving right away, fucking Mac slowly. “You’d let me to this for hours, wouldn’t you?” he panted against his skin. “Like the good slut that you are?”

Mac wasn’t expecting name-calling but he wasn’t against it, face flushing with something that wasn’t shame, not exactly, because it still made him feel good. He was being squeezed by the rope and pinned by Jack’s weight, and those sensations combined make his pleasure ratchet back up in a hurry. He moaned a muffled version of Jack’s name as his cock stroked over Mac’s prostate, driving him toward another internal orgasm.

“That’s it, baby,” Jack groaned, his hips moving in little circles, his breath hot against Mac’s ear. “You take it so well.” Mac mewled in response, trembling underneath Jack with how intense and bright everything feels right now, and the part of his brain that hadn’t completely shut down yet absently wondered how long Jack’s planning to make him fall apart.

Once Mac started to settle down again Jack fucked him in earnest, with deep, powerful thrusts that made the headboard shake. “I’m so close,” he groaned out, slamming his hips forward and making Mac squeal, his bound cock hot and dripping against his stomach. “Gonna come in you again, then we’ll test out that toy.”

Even if Mac wanted to make any noise in response to that he couldn’t, not with how hard Jack’s pounding into him. He could barely breathe with Jack’s weight on top of him and the gag, so he just took it, softly whimpering every now and then. He wasn’t sure how much time passed because he got lost in the way Jack was slamming into him, but he was brought back by Jack’s groans getting louder, and a moment later he came inside him again.

Jack made a bone-rattling noise of satisfaction and collapsed on top of Mac for a moment, mouthing lazily at the back of his neck. Then he pushed himself up and pulled out, rolling Mac over again and pushing his legs up toward his chest. He was totally exposed this way and whined because of it, but any embarrassment he felt goes out the window when he felt the toy pressed against him.

Jack slowly pushed the toy inside him and Mac whimpered, the oversensitivity almost too overwhelming, but at the same time the last thing he wanted was for Jack to stop. The toy slid inside him easily and Mac moaned when Jack gave it an experimental wiggle. “This is fun,” he drawled, and Mac could tell he was smirking. “Never used this kind of thing on a guy before.”

Mac let out a ragged laugh, and even if he could speak he doubted he could string together a witty comeback. His skin felt too tight for his body and all at once he _needed_ to come, the regular way. When the toy brushed his prostate he almost screamed, and Jack rubbed a hand over his chest. “You need it, baby?” he asked, like he didn’t know exactly what he was doing to Mac. He pulled off the belt, taking the gag away so Mac could speak. “How bad?”

Mac took a deep breath, wheezing a little. “S-so bad,” he whispered in a hoarse voice, his arms hurting a little from being tied to the headboard for so long. “P-please, Jack, please, I’m—”

“Okay, okay,” Jack soothed, and unties the roped carefully, leaving Mac’s cock for last. He stroked a hand through Mac’s hair once all the bindings were gone. He slid two fingers in alongside the toy so he could control it better, pulsing it against Mac’s prostate. “Come on, baby, let go. Come for me.”

Mac’s moaned brokenly, his chest heaving rapidly, and he writhed as much as he could with his legs pulled up to his chest. He sobbed in pleasure, his vision blurring, and when he finally came he practically _howled_ , the orgasm so intense he was pretty sure he blacked out for a moment. Come painted his abs again but he barely noticed, too caught up in how rapturous he felt. Dimly he was aware of Jack taking the makeshift blindfold off, and when he blinked his eyes open the ceiling was a little crooked. His vision stabilized a moment later and he saw Jack’s face, expression pleased but a little concerned.

He frowned a little when he saw Jack’s lips move, but no words reached him—thankfully that lasted only for a moment. “—okay? Baby?” he eventually heard Jack ask, his expression growing more worried, so Mac forced himself to focus.

“Yeah, I’m—I’m good,” Mac replied in a hoarse voice. “I just... need a moment.”

Jack stroked a hand through Mac’s hair, pushing it back from his face. Then he kissed his cheek and pulled his fingers and the toy out gently. He got up, going to the mini bar to pull out two cold bottles of water and came back to the bed, propping Mac upright on some pillows. He used the towels to wipe them both off, tossing them on the floor before he cuddled into Mac’s side, uncapping a bottle and holding it up to his lips.

“Here,” Jack murmured, giving him a squeeze around the shoulders. “Drink some of this.”

Mac took a few tiny sips, still feeling kind of like he was floating, detached from reality in the best way. When Jack took the bottle away Mac turned toward him, resting his head on Jack’s shoulder and closing his eyes with a sigh. “That was... incredible,” he murmured, every inch of his body aching pleasantly. “I’ve never felt like that before.”

“Me neither, darlin’,” Jack said, kissing the top of his head. “Being with you is like nothing else I’ve ever experienced.” His fingers traced circles against Mac’s bicep. “Was... _everything_ good, though?” He sounded hesitant, even as his lips brushed Mac’s forehead this time. “I didn’t take it too far?”

Mac frowned, but he was too tired to move and look at Jack, at least for now. “No, of course not,” he murmured, wondering how it was possible that Jack was so _warm_. “It was amazing, all of it.”

Jack was quiet for a moment and then he asked, “What about the name calling?”

“I liked it,” Mac admitted, shifting just enough to kiss Jack’s collarbone. “Maybe not as an all the time thing, but... in the moment it was good.” He got one of his arms around Jack’s middle even though it felt like a sandbag. “If I had a problem with it I’d tell you, Jack.”

“Okay, that’s... good,” Jack said softly. “It was just talk, though, you know that, right? I don’t think you’re a slut, and I’d kill anyone who would ever call you that.”

“I know that,” Mac murmured, his lips moving against Jack’s skin. “And I love how you’d kill for me, it’s very romantic.”

Jack barked out a surprised laugh. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am,” Mac said, finally managing to tilt his head back to look at him. “I think I’d like to take you up on the offer of that bath. And then maybe we could go have that dinner on the beach?”

“All of that sounds great, but are you sure you’re not up for a nap first?” Jack asked teasingly, finally seeming to relax completely after being worried about Mac’s reaction to what they did. “Because just a moment ago you looked seconds from drifting away.”

“That’s because you fucked my brains out,” Mac mumbled, smiling up at Jack. “But I’m fine. And hungry.”

“Compromise,” Jack proposed, sliding an arm under Mac’s knees and lifting, getting to his feet and walking them to the bathroom. “How about I get you in the tub and then we order something from room service? It ain’t quite late enough for dinner anyway, and maybe Riles and Desi would wanna join us.”

“That sounds good,” Mac said, relaxing in Jack’s hold but also looking forward to warm water and some shampoo. “I wonder what they’re up to, anyway?”

~***~

“Wow, this is so beautiful,” Riley commented as she stepped outside on the balcony, taking in the view. “I’m so glad Jack came up with the idea to come to Hawaii, I didn’t get to see much of it the last time we were here.”

“I’ve never been here at all,” Desi said, joining her outside and leaning against the railing. “But it’s nice to just... relax for a change.”

Riley glanced over at her and it felt like a swarm of butterflies got let loose in her stomach. The afternoon sun painted Desi’s ochre skin gold, and she looked... radiant. “I’m guessing you aren’t the type to relax very often.”

“Nope,” Desi replied, a tiny smile making her mouth curl up. “I’m kind of a workaholic. My parents hate that.”

“I’d say it’s not healthy, but I’m the same way,” Riley said with a small shrug. “Or well, at least I used to be when I had a job.” A grin. “Not sure if you can be a workaholic when you’re unemployed.” She looked at Desi for a moment. “What is it that you do, actually? Jack never said anything, only mentioned you’re a pilot and that you have a plane.”

Desi grinned back. “Actually the piloting thing is more of a hobby. I mostly do contract work for... well, usually the US government. I’ve worked for Canada and Great Britain a few times too.” She squinted into the sun. “That plane is the closest thing I have to a home. I’ve never bought property, and my parents...” She trailed off, then shrugged. “Well, Michigan is cold in winter.”

It was obvious there was way more to it, but Riley was smart enough not to push. “That’s why I love living in LA,” she said instead. “You don’t have to deal with the cold.”

Desi didn’t reply and they were quiet for a while, admiring the view and enjoying the sun. “So, is there anything you’d like to do?” Desi eventually asked, glancing at Riley. “Because that pool looks really nice.”

Riley’s face flushed a little as her mind showed her some things they _could_ do, but she cleared her throat and said, “No, yeah, the pool sounds great.”

They went back inside to change, and Riley stared hard at one corner of the room while she strapped on her bikini. Once that was done she turned around and her mouth went dry when she saw Desi in a canary yellow string bikini that left almost nothing to the imagination. She swallowed hard and busied herself with pulling her hair up in a ponytail, giving herself an internal pep talk. She grabbed the cards to exchange for the towels by the pool and put them in her beach bag, doing her best not to stare at Desi.

“Okay, I think we’re all set,” Desi said after a moment. “Come on, let’s get a drink by the pool. I’m buying.”

“You don’t have to,” Riley protested, while she was secretly warmed by the thought. She smiled when Desi waves that off, and they headed out of the room to the elevator. They wound up going downstairs with a couple of guys staying on the same floor, but before one of them could open his mouth to say something dumb Desi reached over and grabs Riley’s hand, smiling brightly. “So babe,” she started, and Riley almost choked on her tongue. “What are you gonna get from the bar? I was thinking about a banana daiquiri.”

Riley didn’t miss the disappointed expressions on the guys’ faces and she forced herself to get a grip. “A daiquiri sounds great,” she said, squeezing Desi’s hand. “But I’m thinking strawberry.”

When the elevator doors opened the guys stepped outside and after making sure they were gone Desi let go of her hand. “Sorry about that,” she said. “I just wanted to avoid those dudes hitting on us and they most definitely would, one of them was basically drooling.” She winced. “Unless you wanted to flirt with them?”

“No!” Riley exclaimed, her eyes going wide when she realized how... intense that sounded. “I mean... no, I wasn’t interested. In them.” She cleared her throat as they headed out to the pool area and made a beeline for the bar. “But I do _like_ guys. And, uh... women. Also.”

Desi was quiet for a moment before she said, “Oh. I’m... me too. I do like women. And guys.” Riley chewed on her lower lip, not sure how to proceed, but thankfully the bartender walked up to them and they ordered their drinks. “I’ve been trying to figure that out, you know,” Desi suddenly said. “If you were into women.”

Riley went still, her hand curling into a fist where it rested on the bar. “You... you were?” she asked, unable to hide her surprise. “So you...”

“Like you? Yes, I do,” Desi replied, smiling a little. “You’re smart and funny, not to mention gorgeous. I just couldn’t tell if you swung my way... or if you liked _me_.”

“I- I do,” Riley stuttered out, inwardly rolling her eyes at herself. “Like you, I mean. And swing your way, like I said.”

“Great,” Desi said, her smile widening, and she seemed not to notice how Riley was making an idiot out of herself, but she was most like just polite enough to ignore it. “Since this is all inclusive I can’t actually buy you a drink, though.”

Riley laughed. “Well, you’ll just have to make it up to me some other way,” she teased, and then realized what she just implied. “Uh... not like that. Well, not necessarily like that, I just—”

“Riley,” Desi interjected, calm and understanding. “It’s fine. We can do this however you want. There’s no hurry.”

Riley took a deep breath, exhaling slowly and running her fingers through her hair. “I’m sorry,” she said softly once her heartbeat went back to normal. “I’m just... nervous.”

“You don’t have to be,” Desi replied, thanking the bartender when he brought over their drinks. “Like I said, whatever you want. No pressure.”

“Okay, then maybe we could... keep getting to know each other?” Riley offered tentatively, smiling when Desi did. “Like... Jack said you were one of the first female Rangers. What was that like?”

“Total pain in the ass,” Desi deadpanned, but she didn’t sound angry. “Guys are dicks, especially when they think their masculinity is at stake.”

“Yikes,” Riley said, rolling her eyes. “Normal guys are like that, so I can only imagine it’s even worse in the military.”

“Oh, definitely,” Desi replied, snorting a little. “They really can’t handle it when you’re better than them at something. Well, most of them.” She smiled. “Jack was never like that.”

Riley smiled too, sipping at her strawberry daiquiri. “No, he isn’t. He always told me I could do whatever a boy did and probably do it better. He was the one who encouraged me when I found out I liked coding. He even bought me my first computer.”

“So he dated your mom, right?” Desi asked, turning on her bar stool so they were facing each other, paying the bartender checking her out no mind. “What was _that_ like?”

“It was... really great, actually,” Riley said, feeling that fondness inside her that appeared whenever she thought about her childhood with Jack. “He was an amazing dad, much better than my biological one. Now I know that his relationship with my mom wasn’t _that_ great, but for me... he was the best. I was really angry when I thought he just abandoned us.”

“If there’s one thing I know about Jack it’s that he doesn’t abandon anyone,” Desi said, contemplating the little umbrella from the top of her drink. “He’s the reason I’m alive. He rescued me when any sane person would’ve turned around and ran away. So when he asked me for a favor with my plane, it seemed like the least I could do.”

“I’m really glad you decided to help out,” Riley said, and Desi looked up in surprise. “One, we _really_ needed a way to get out of LA. And two...” She shrugged. “As cheesy as it sounds, I’m glad we met because of it.” She chewed on her lower lip. “What... what happened that Jack had to save you? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I got captured during a Ranger mission,” Desi told her, swallowing hard. “I got hurt and couldn’t get away from the insurgents fast enough. We never leave anyone behind, but Jack was adamant that he was going back for me... and he convinced the other guys to join him.” She took in a shaky breath and Riley’s stomach sank. “They... when they found me, it was... bad. Let’s just say I haven’t been with a guy since then.”

Riley’s eyes widened and she immediately felt awful for asking. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, wanting to reach out and touch Desi’s arm, but she wasn’t sure it would be welcome right now. “I shouldn’t have pried, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Desi said, taking a deep breath and visibly pulling herself together. “It happened a long time ago.”

“That doesn’t make it any less traumatic.” Riley drained the last of her drink, then stood up. “Wanna go for a swim?”

“Sure,” Desi responded, hopping up after her.

Their arms brushed as they walked toward the pool, and Riley stopped to get their towels before they claimed a pair of lounge chairs. There weren’t too many people around, and when Riley walked down the steps into the pool the water was nice and warm. Desi joined her a moment later, disappearing underwater before she emerged a few feet away, her wet skin and tattoos glistening in the sun. She was absolutely stunning and Riley couldn’t look away, and now that she didn’t have to be scared of getting caught... she finally could truly appreciate how beautiful Desi was and how amazing her tattoos were.

“You look incredible,” Riley blurted out, and smiles when Desi turned around to look at her. “I’ve wanted to tell you that since I met you... your tattoos are so cool.”

“Thanks,” Desi said, coming right up to her, droplets of water clinging everywhere. She grinned, dimples showing. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

Riley ducked her head, her cheeks burning, and it was ridiculous that Desi managed to make her feel like a little girl with a crush. They swim around for a while, enjoying the perfect weather and the amazing water, and eventually they both leaned against the edge of the pool, watching people around them. Riley tilted her head back, face to the sun, and let her eyes slip shut. She felt Desi’s gaze on her and tried not to fidget, uncertain as to why Desi made her so nervous. She was never this way around guys she wanted to date... but then again, she never felt the kind of connection that she did to Desi.

“Hey,” Desi said softly, breaking her out of her thoughts. “Wanna go check out the hot tubs? They’re in their own cabanas.”

“Oh yeah, sure,” Riley said, amazed that her voice came out completely normal. “That sounds great.”

They got out of the swimming pool and Riley made sure not to look at Desi, not sure she would be able to handle that and act normally when she was all wet and gorgeous, her bikini leaving even less to imagination. They stopped by the bar to get more drinks and then they headed toward the hot tubs, once again ignoring a few guys staring at them. They found one that was available and got inside the cabana, setting their drinks on a convenient table. The water was hot and frothing with bubbles, and when Riley glanced away from it she noted Desi drew the front flaps on the cabana shut. There was a little daylight peeking through the middle, but now they more or less had total privacy... and Riley wondered what they were going to do with it.

She got inside the tub to distract herself from it because while her head was telling her to take it slow and easy... her heart wasn’t exactly on board with that. “Wow, this is nice,” she groaned, relaxing in the hot water. “I think it’s been way too long since the last time I went on vacation.”

“Well like I said earlier, I don’t think I’ve ever really taken a vacation,” Desi remarked, sighing as she spread her arms along the sides of the hot tub. “Unless you count going to Toronto when I was like... seven.”

She shut her eyes, and Riley realized how privileged she was to see that—with Desi’s training it must be hard for her to let her guard down. She was a lot like Jack when it came to that, and Riley knew firsthand how he was always expecting danger even when he seemed completely relaxed. Riley shook her head a little, not wanting to compare her dad to her crush, and instead she just watched Desi, taking advantage of her closed eyes.

“You’re staring,” Desi observed, smiling a little when Riley pulled in a sharp breath. “Relax, I don’t mind.” She opened her eyes, and this close Riley observed that while they looked like they were black from afar, they were actually an incredibly deep shade of brown with tiny flecks of rust. “You wanna say something? Or... do something?”

Riley swallowed hard, unable to stop herself from flushing. “I... maybe?” she said tentatively, but it came out more like a question. She bit down on her lower lip and then decided to be bold, fuck it. “I mean, I’ve been thinking about kissing you for... a while now, but that’s not exactly taking things slow.”

Desi scooted a little closer, the water swirling around them, and her arm brushed Riley’s shoulder. “No, it’s not,” she agreed, watching Riley’s face intently. “But we also almost died today when we were hunting down Peterson and Quirk. If Mac wasn’t so good at what he does, we probably would have. So... maybe slow is overrated?”

“It definitely is,” Riley agreed, and she couldn’t help the way her gaze dropped to Desi’s lips for a second. “And since my job—when I still had it—used to be dangerous, I’ve learned not to waste any time.”

“Sounds great,” Desi murmured, shifting even closer, and that was about all Riley could take before she tugged Desi in for a kiss.

Riley sucked in a breath as soon as their lips met, because she’d never felt this kind of spark with someone before. The kiss was closed-mouthed and chaste, only lasting a few seconds before they broke apart, but when she saw Desi’s expression she knew she felt it too. “Slow is definitely bad,” Desi said, smiling when that made Riley laugh. Then she pulled her in for another kiss, nipping at Riley’s lower lip before she slid her tongue into her mouth.

Riley gasped a little, but happily kissed back, putting her hands on Desi’s shoulders. A moment later she slid her arms around her neck, making an approving sound when she felt Desi touch her waist, squeezing lightly before tugging her closer. Desi smiled into the kiss and used one hand to pull Riley’s hair free of its ponytail so she could run her fingers through it. Riley shuddered when her nails scraped her scalp and the back of her neck, her own hands moving from Desi’s shoulders to her sides under the water, impressed by the muscles there.

She threw a leg over both of Desi’s without thinking, sitting in her lap and pressing them closer together. Desi groaned against her lips and ran one hand up and down her back, and Riley shivered when she feels her fingers brush over her bikini straps. She tried not to think too much about it and just got lost in how great the kiss feels, and she couldn’t help but moan quietly when Desi pulled back to mouth at her jaw.

“So I know that we agree slow is bad,” Riley started, tilting her head to give Desi better access to her skin, running her hands back up to Desi’s shoulders to toy with the halter of her bikini top. “But... how fast do we want to move, exactly?”

“We can stop if you want,” Desi murmured, nuzzling at the skin under her ear before she embraced her with both arms and drew back to look her in the eye. “Whatever you’re comfortable with is fine with me.”

“I don’t want to stop,” Riley admitted, gaze fixed on Desi’s collarbone. “Is that bad?”

“Not at all,” Desi said, smiling a little. “Like I said, we can do anything not nothing at all, whatever you want.” She leaned in again, pressing her lips to Riley’s skin. “Let’s just... see where this goes?”

“Okay,” Riley whispered, and feeling a little bolder, she slipped her fingers under the knot of fabric at the back of Desi’s neck. “Can I... take this off?”

“Yeah, sure,” Desi said, her voice cracking.

She squeezed Riley’s hips as Riley undid the knot, allowing the bikini top to fall away. She pressed their lips together again, putting one hand on Desi’s collarbone before she worked up the courage to slide it lower. Desi inhaled sharply when Riley cupped one of her breasts, her hands tightening on Riley’s hips.

She rubbed her thumb back and forth over Desi’s nipple, grinning into their kiss when that made Desi moan softly. Encouraged, Riley gave her other breast the same treatment, then gasped when Desi reached behind Riley’s back and opened her bikini, pushing until it slid down her arms. Desire burned low in Riley’s gut as she shimmied closer, and soon they were kissing passionately as Desi groped her ass.

The water splashed around them, but Riley didn’t care, sliding one hand into Desi’s hair and gasping when Desi squeezed one of her ass cheeks. Her heart was pounding wildly and she was already breathless, and she already knew she wanted more, not giving a damn about taking things slow anymore. Sensing this, Desi urged Riley up to her knees and grabbed her bikini bottoms, pulling them down and off. Once that was done Riley reached down and unties the sides of Desi’s, pulling them away so they were both naked in the bubbling water. Then Desi’s hand came around to rub over Riley’s pussy and her brain short-circuited.

“Oh god,” she whined, gripping Desi’s shoulders tightly and leaning in to mouth at her neck. “ _Fuck_.”

Desi’s other arm wrapped around her waist and she held her close, putting more pressure on Riley’s clit with her fingers and making her see stars. Riley’s hips moved of their own volition, rocking into the friction Desi’s creating. She panted and scraped her teeth against Desi’s jaw, groaning when Desi’s fingers move, one pushing inside of her while the heel of her hand ground against Riley’s clit.

“That feel good?” Desi asked, voice gone raspy. “You want more?”

“So good,” Riley gasped into Desi’s ear, clinging to her, and she threw her head back with a moan when Desi rubbed her hand harder against her clit.

Desi let out a low groan and attached her lips to Riley’s throat, nipping at the delicate skin as she slipped a second finger inside her, making Riley cry out softly. Desi crooked her fingers and found Riley’s g-spot, and that combined with everything else—her mouth on Riley’s neck, her other arm squeezing tight around her—was enough to make Riley come with a broken version of Desi’s name. She clenched around those digits inside her and shuddered through her orgasm, letting her head rest on Desi’s shoulder as she came down from her high.

Desi pulled out her fingers a moment later, squeezing Riley’s hip lightly before wrapping both arms around her. “Good?” she murmured into her ear, her breath hot against her skin.

Riley couldn’t help but snort. “Good?” she repeated, and grinned a little. “Are you kidding me? That was amazing.”

Desi turned her head enough to kiss Riley on the mouth, smiling into it. “I’m glad,” she said, not complaining in the slightest that she hadn’t gotten off yet... and Riley needed to do something about that.

“Fair warning, I’ve got zero idea what I’m doing,” Riley told her, before she tentatively slid a hand down between Desi’s legs. “I mean, I’ve done it to myself... but this is different.”

Desi’s eyes widened. “You... you’ve never—”

“No,” Riley replied before Desi finished asking the question, her chest tightening nervously. “That’s... not a problem, right?”

“No, no, of course not,” Desi rushed to say, inhaling sharply when Riley’s fingers brushed over her clit. “I just—I hope I didn’t pressure you into anything.”

Riley’s mouth dropped open. “What? No!” She leaned in to kiss Desi, keeping it quick and chaste because clearly she needed to put this to rest. “You didn’t pressure me at all, Desi. And you checked to make sure I was okay, you... you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Okay... good,” Desi whispered, biting her lower lip as Riley touched her again. “That feels so good.”

“Yeah? Feel free to tell me if you want me to do something specific,” Riley said, watching Desi’s face as she rubbed her fingers over her clit, putting on more pressure than before. “Like I said, I’m flying blind here.”

“I—I don’t think so,” Desi gasped, moaning softly and squeezing Riley’s hips with both hands. “You’re... doing great so far.”

Riley shifted a little, wanting a better angle. She sat on one of Desi’s thighs and nudged the other one away, giving her more room to work. She experimented with different patterns, working slow circles into Desi’s clit and watching her eyes roll back in her head. Her hips twitched into Riley’s hand, and she was so responsive that it took Riley’s breath away. She was also letting out these tiny groans and whines, so maybe Riley was doing something right. She swallowed hard, pretending not to notice how nervous she was, and she slowly pushed one finger inside Desi. She gasped loudly and Riley made a soft sound when her finger sank into that tight heat.

“Oh, _Riley_ ,” Desi moaned out, maybe a little too loudly considering they were only in a cabana, but the sounds of the hot tub probably masked it. She had an iron grip on Riley’s waist and that shouldn’t turn her on as much as it did, but the idea of Desi holding her down and having her way with her was... appealing. Riley licked her lips and moved that finger in and out until she found that spot that made Desi’s thighs shook and her mouth drop open.

It was mesmerizing to watch and Riley couldn’t believe that _she_ was the one making Desi feel like that. She was so beautiful and a part of Riley felt like she was dreaming, so she leaned in to nip on Desi’s throat to make sure this was real. “You’re stunning,” she whispered against her skin, and added a second finger alongside the first one.

One of Desi’s hands slid up into Riley’s hair, tugging a little as she drew her free knee up to her chest in an attempt to get Riley’s fingers in deeper. She didn’t respond to Riley’s words but that was okay, the flush across her cheeks told Riley everything she needed to know. She crooked her fingers again, thrusting them lightly against Desi’s g-spot, and she could tell from the way she spasmed around them that she was close.

She continued fingering her, putting more pressure on her g-spot and then going back to teasing again, loving how the sounds Desi made were getting higher and more desperate. She pressed a trail of kisses down her neck to her collarbone, thumbing over one of her nipples, and after a moment Desi cried out softly as she came. Riley watched the pleasure break over her face and was once again amazed that _she_ was the source. She worked Desi through it until she whimpered from oversensitivity, pushing Riley’s hand away.

Desi hugged her tightly, pressing her lips to Riley’s hair as she murmured, “That was incredible.”

Riley couldn’t help but grin widely, feeling butterflies in her stomach. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” she murmured, lips moving against Desi’s skin. “For me it was... amazing too.” She chewed on her lower lip. “I’m... I haven’t felt that way in... well. Probably ever.”

“Then you’ve been sleeping with stupid guys,” Desi drawled, running a slow hand up and down Riley’s spine. “But that’s not surprising, since most guys are stupid.”

Riley’s phone chirped from her bag, and she flailed an arm out of the hot tub to check the screen. “Mac and Jack want to know if we wanna do dinner later,” she said, raising an eyebrow at Desi. “I’m pretty sure Mac knows I’m into you, which means he told Jack. Are you up for a shovel talk?”

Desi grinned. “Sure, why not,” she said, searching around the tub before locating all the parts of their swimming suits and fishing them out. “Would Mac really spill the beans to Jack like that?”

“Oh, definitely,” Riley snorted, shaking her head with a smile. “They always used to tell each other pretty much everything, so I imagine it got even worse after they actually got together.”

Desi wrinkled her nose. “That is sickeningly adorable. Tell them six o’clock at the hotel restaurant, and Dalton better be buying.”

“Got it,” Riley said, tapping out a quick text. “Oh, and Bozer’s pissed that we abandoned him, but his girlfriend is flying in tomorrow so I think that softened the blow.”

“Good for him,” Desi said, plucking Riley’s phone from her hands and setting it aside. “Now... how about we go back to our room and test out the mattress?”


	9. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey my dudes! This is that epilogue I was telling you about! It wasn't as long as I remembered so I got it done earlier than I figured I would. :) This is the end of this fic but NOT the end of this AU... Kaja and I have much more planned. In the meantime don't worry, because I'll be back posting another fic soon! Thank you all so much for reading!

“Didn’t you say I owe _you_ a dinner for being a dick earlier?” Jack grumbled, lying on his back on the bed and staring at the ceiling, already dressed, while Mac searched through his suitcase, still gloriously naked. “Why do I have to buy dinner for them as well?” He let his gaze drop down from the ceiling to Mac’s gorgeous ass. “Plus I figured you wanted a romantic dinner.”

“I’m pretty sure we’ve made our romance clear all afternoon,” Mac replied wryly, grinning at Jack over his shoulder and wiggling his ass a little when he catches him looking. “And the girls deserve some nice food.” He came over to the bed with fresh underwear, nice jeans, and a dress shirt. His junk was _right there_ , dick practically in Jack’s face. “Jack? Earth to Jack?”

Jack forced himself to tear his gaze away from Mac’s cock and he slowly looked up, focusing on his face. “Huh?” He blinked and then rolled his eyes when Mac gave him a pointed look. “Come on, baby, you can’t blame me for staring.” Faster than Mac clearly expected he sat up and wrapped an arm around Mac, dragging him down to the mattress, causing him to yelp and drop the clothes he was holding.

“Jack!” Mac exclaimed, laughing as he braced his forearms on either side of Jack’s head. “You can’t seriously want to go _again_?”

“With you? Always.” Jack squeezed his ass to prove his point, planting little kisses against Mac’s cheek and neck. “But mostly I just wanna be as close to you as I can, if I’m being honest.”

“You’re sweet, Jack,” Mac said, his voice fond, and when he leaned back Jack got lost in those gorgeous blue eyes. “Good thing I always want you close, huh?” He grinned a little and lowered himself again to give Jack a short, chaste kiss. “But if we don’t get going soon, you’re going to convince me to bail on dinner.”

Jack groaned theatrically, pulling Mac down for one last kiss before he smacked his ass. “Okay, go on, get.” He waited for Mac to get up before he sat up himself. “I’m glad you picked the blue shirt. Looks good on you... but then again everything does.”

“ _Stop it_ ,” Mac lamented, but he was grinning as he put on his underwear and jeans. “For what it’s worth you look very handsome.”

“Only for you, darlin’, only for you,” Jack drawled, smiling when Mac chuckled. He watched him put on his shirt and then button it with those amazing fingers of his, and once again he was struck by how damn lucky he was. “Seriously though, you look so hot in this shirt,” he murmured, eyeing Mac up and down. “I may have to kick some ass after everyone is drooling over you.”

Mac rolled his eyes as he tucked in his shirt, turning toward the mirror to mess with his hair. “I sincerely doubt that’s going to happen.”

Jack frowned and stood, coming up behind him and wrapping his arms around his waist. “What do you mean by that?” he asked, kissing the ridge of Mac’s cheekbone. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Right.” Mac shook his head a little, and Jack didn’t like his reaction at all. “I know you probably believe that, but you’re kind of biased.”

“Maybe I am,” Jack allowed, nuzzling at Mac’s ear. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re gorgeous, and trust me, I’m not the only thinking that. Do you have any idea how many times I saw people check you out?”

Mac’s browed furrow. “No, I don’t really pay attention to stuff like that unless it’s for work.” He bit his lower lip in that way that always drove Jack insane. “The only person I ever wanted checking me out was you.”

“Well, you’ve got that in spades,” Jack deadpanned, smiling when Mac laughed. “Now come on, let’s get to dinner, stud.”

Mac’s cheeks flushed pink and he ducked his head for a moment which was just adorable. He turned in Jack’s arms after a few seconds and gave him a short kiss, but it still felt like magic. “I love you,” Mac murmured, and then he smiled widely, that sunshine smile that never failed to make Jack melt a little. “But yeah, we should go. I wonder if Riley made a move on Desi.”

Jack choked on his own tongue and pulled back like he was been burned, but he made sure to grab Mac’s hand and tug him toward the door. “Jesus, man, you can’t just blurt out stuff like that,” he groused, making sure he had a key card before they headed for the elevator. “That’s my baby girl you’re talking about, remember?”

“I’m aware,” Mac said, grinning a little because he knew exactly what he was doing. “Come on, you had to see how she was looking at Desi. Even Bozer noticed and you know how oblivious he can be.”

“I was a little distracted,” Jack grumbled as they stepped into the elevator. “I’m gonna have to threaten Dez a little if what you’re saying is true.”

“No, I’m lying to you.” Mac’s tone went as dry as the Sahara while they rode down to the lobby. “It’s not like I blame Riley, Desi’s gorgeous, but she could’ve been a little more subtle.” At Jack’s glaring, Mac’s smile widened. “What? Did I say something to upset you?”

“Just remembered how I encouraged you to ask Desi out when I saw you look at her back at Steve’s beach,” Jack muttered, squeezing his hand. “During those few minutes when I thought you were into her I almost lost my damn mind.” He sighed. “She _is_ gorgeous, though. Just don’t tell her I ever said that.”

Mac held up three fingers with his free hand. “Scout’s honor,” he said sweetly, and they stepped out into the hotel lobby. They made a beeline for the restaurant and since Jack made a reservation they were taken to a table right away.

The ladies weren’t there yet, and Mac seemed pleasantly surprised when Jack pulled out his chair for him before taking the seat next to him. “I _am_ a gentleman, you know,” Jack said quietly, winking at him. “You don’t have to be so surprised.”

Mac stuck his tongue at him. “Hush,” he muttered, but then he smiled when Jack hooked one foot over his. “I’m just... not used to being in a relationship like this.” When Jack frowned, he clarified, “Where it’s... nice and so... easy like it is with you.”

Jack picked up Mac’s hand and brushed a kiss against his knuckles. “You deserve nice,” he murmured, smiling when Mac’s fingertips brushed his stubble. “You deserve everything.”

“Aw, that’s so cute!” Riley exclaimed, the shutter sound going off from her phone as she took a picture.

She and Desi were both wearing short Hawaiian print dresses and sandals, and while Riley grinned from ear to ear Desi rolled her eyes. “I might vomit,” she commented... and pulled out Riley’s chair.

Mac’s smile turned sly and Jack raised one eyebrow, looking between Riley and Desi. Riley sat down with her head held up high, but the slight flush on her cheeks betrayed her. “Oh, I knew it,” Mac drawled, and Jack had a feeling he wasn’t going to like the next words that were about to fall from his mouth. “You totally boned.”

“So did you,” Riley countered, putting her phone away as Desi sat down next to her. “You don’t have a lot of room to talk.”

“No, but I bet he’ll try,” Desi said, resting her arms on the table and leaning toward Jack, raising her eyebrows. “Okay, Dalton, lay it on me. I know you want to give me the shovel talk.”

“I do,” Jack agreed, and then glanced at Riley. “But maybe I’ll do it later, without the kid present.”

“Oh come on, Jack,” Riley groaned, burying her face in her hands. “I’m not a kid anymore!”

“You’ll always be a kid to me,” Jack pointed out, ignoring Mac stifling a chuckle. “For now, know that I’m watching you, Nguyen.”

“Duly noted,” Desi said, smiling mischievously. She leaned back when their waiter approached and they all ordered drinks.

Once that was done they took a looked at their menus, and Mac asked, “Okay, who else is thinking about the shrimp?”

“I’m thinkin’ about a burger, except they put pineapple on it,” Jack grumbled. “Who does that?”

“But you love pineapple,” Mac said, raising one eyebrow at him. “Especially on pizza.”

“Yes, and it’s great on pizza!” Jack exclaimed, ignoring the incredulous sounds Desi made. “It’s delicious then. But not on a burger!”

“I’m sure if you ask nicely they’re not going to put it in,” Mac said, patting his shoulder. “I think that waitress over there is going to take our orders, I give you permission to flirt your way out of that pineapple.”

“Somehow I don’t think that’s necessary,” Riley remarked, and when the waitress came over to take their orders she politely asked if she could get onion rings with her pulled pork sandwich instead of French fries.

The waitress said yes, of course, and Jack’s vaguely disappointed that he didn’t have to flirt his way out of the pineapple. He was sure he would be successful, but since that wasn’t happening he did the same thing as Riley and asked for no pineapple on the burger. Mac ordered his shrimps and so did Desi, and Jack asked for extra fries, knowing Mac would steal them from him anyway.

The waiter came back with their drinks a moment after the waitress left, and once they were all settled in with their booze Desi said, “So I guess it’s kind of pointless to ask if you guys are enjoying your vacation.”

“Yeah, probably,” Mac agreed, taking a sip of the frilly pink thing he ordered. “It’s safe to say we enjoyed ourselves all over our room, several times. How about you guys?”

Jack choked on his beer, not used to Mac being so... open about things like this. Mac shot him an amused look and somehow his hand found its way to Jack’s thigh, squeezing lightly.

“Well, things got a little steamy in the hot tub earlier,” Desi said, and Jack wanted to die. “And not just because it was a hot tub.”

“Oh my _god_ , Dez,” Riley groaned, dropping her head into her hands. “That was terrible, and also we are _not_ discussing my sex life with Jack!”

“Please no,” Jack agreed, putting his hand on top of Mac’s once he set down his beer. “Maybe instead of shit that’s mentally scarring we could discuss what else we wanna do while we’re in Hawaii. I’m sure McGarrett would be more than happy to take us on a tour.”

Mac perked up. “We could go on a hike!” he said, not seeming to notice Jack glaring at him. “There are so many trails here that I read about—what?” he asked, finally realizing Jack’s staring at him.

“Nothin’, baby,” Jack replied, squeezing his fingers. “It’s just, if you want to get exhausted and sweaty I know better ways to make it happen that hiking through a Hawaiian jungle.”

Riley grunted and Desi snickered into her whiskey sour. “Okay, what about some more touristy options?” Mac suggested, clearly not put off by Jack’s remark in the slightest. “There’s the Pearl Harbor memorial, or the Honolulu Aquarium... you can literally swim with dolphins, how cool is that?”

“Very cool,” Riley said quickly, before Jack could open his mouth. “Let’s do that. And I wouldn’t be opposed to hiking.”

“I’m not _opposed_ to hiking,” Jack protested, and then glanced at Mac. “If you really wanna do it, then it’s fine, baby. But I wanna see the Pearl Harbor memorial too.”

“Yeah, me too,” Mac said, smiling a little. “Good thing there’s no deadline for our stay here, we can do it all.”

“Yeah, that is a good thing,” Jack said, squeezing Mac’s fingers. He was so glad to see the light back in Mac’s eyes after everything happened with his father, and he’d do anything to keep it there. “And for the record, Riles, I’m very happy for you and Desi. Doesn’t mean I ain’t gonna be gruff and suspicious for a while.”

Riley rolled her eyes, but in a fond way, and she was smiling. “Okay, Dad,” she said, her tone amused, and Jack’s heart stuttered like it always did whenever Riley referred to him as a father figure.

Thankfully the waitress brought over their food before anyone could call him out on getting a little misty-eyed, and Jack’s mouth watered when he saw his burger, no pineapple as promised. There was pineapple on Mac’s shrimp skewers, and he made deliberate eye contact with Jack before he took a huge bite. Jack rolled his eyes in response, and they all dug into their food as the conversation shifted to working with Five-0 earlier in the day and other places they might like to go after playing tourists in Hawaii.

“I wouldn’t mind going to Australia,” Jack mused, glancing at Mac to see what he thought. “We could visit Cage.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Mac mused, stealing one of Jack’s fries just like he knew he would—that was why he ordered the extra fries instead of the onion rings, he wasn’t feeling like kissing an onion impersonation later. “I wonder what she’s up to and if she misses our line of work.” He tilted his head. “Well, I guess our _former_ line of work.”

Riley went still and Jack immediately knew something was wrong. “Do...” she started, but her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. “You don’t think they’ll try to send me back to jail, right? My release _was_ conditional.”

“If anybody tries, we won’t let them,” Mac said before Jack could open his mouth, reaching across the table to squeeze Riley’s hand just like he did two years ago when he met her. “I promise.”

“What he said,” Jack said, giving Riley a reassuring smile. “And trust me, Matty won’t let anything happen to you. We might’ve quit, but I’m sure she’s on our side.”

Riley seemed to relax a little and Desi looked at her curiously. “You were in prison?” she asked, arching one eyebrow. “Badass.”

Riley _blushed_ and it’s adorable, and that one comment earned Desi a point in Jack’s book. They kept eating, and eventually they order dessert and ate that too. Afterward Jack leaned back in his seat and looked out at the fading sun over the ocean, wondering idly what tomorrow will bring. When Mac shifted in his peripheral vision and laughed at something Riley said, though, Jack realized he didn’t care what tomorrow had to offer. Whatever it was, it was going to be perfect.


End file.
